STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1393

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 92

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.R. No. 92 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION DECLARING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND REQUESTING STATEWIDE COORDINATION TO IDENTIFY, PLAN FOR, AND CREATE CROSS-SECTOR SOLUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN HAWAII'S PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Declare a public health emergency relating to climate change; and

(2) Request statewide coordination to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen Hawaii's public health response to the climate crisis.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Life of the Land, Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute, Hawaii Climate Change and Health Working Group, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, 350Hawaii.org, Coalition Earth, and fourteen individuals.

Your Committee finds that leading scientific and medical authorities, including the United Nations, World Health Organization, and American Public Health Association, have identified climate change as a major public health crisis. Your Committee recognizes that although agencies overseeing land, water, agriculture, transportation, and emergency services may not typically see themselves as having a health-related mandate, their decisions on resource management, urban planning, and disaster preparedness directly shape community health outcomes. According to testimony received by your Committee, this measure fosters a cultural shift in which all agencies recognize how their policies and operations can either exacerbate or alleviate public health threats and builds on the State's established environmental commitments by explicitly addressing the human health dimension, ensuring that community well-being remains at the forefront of climate adaptation and resilience efforts.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 92 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair