HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2025
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Rep. Nicole E. Lowen, Chair |
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Rep. Amy A. Perruso, Vice Chair |
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Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa |
Rep. Sean Quinlan |
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Rep. Matthias Kusch |
Rep. Gene Ward |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 |
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TIME: |
9:00 AM |
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PLACE: |
VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE Conference Room 325 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
Click here to submit testimony and to testify remotely or in person.
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A G E N D A
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RELATING TO NOISE. Increases fines for violations of leaf blower, string trimmer, and weed whacker restrictions. Repeals the exemptions for government entities and their agents from these restrictions. Beginning 7/1/2028, prohibits the sale of any leaf blower, string trimmer, or weed whacker that is rated by its manufacturer at greater than sixty-five dbA when measured at fifty feet.
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EEP, CPC, JHA |
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RELATING TO TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT. Requires the Hawaii Community Development Authority to prepare environmental impact statements for the Iwilei/Kapalama and University of Hawaii West Oahu transit-oriented development infrastructure improvement districts on the island of Oahu.
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EEP, WAL, FIN |
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RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a streamlined grid-ready homes interconnection process. Authorizes the use of the Hawaii electricity reliability surcharge for cost recovery of certain expenses of the Hawaii electricity reliability administrator associated with the grid-ready homes interconnection process. Requires report to the Legislature on the grid-ready homes interconnection process.
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EEP, CPC, FIN |
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RELATING TO ENERGY. Requires solar conduit- and electrical panel-readiness for new residential construction offered for sale at fair market value and electric vehicle-readiness when an electrical panel and parking area are installed. Effective 1/1/2026.
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EEP, HSG, FIN |
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RELATING TO ENERGY. Expands the types of water heater systems that may satisfy the relevant requirement for the issuance of a building permit for new single-family dwellings to include ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters.
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EEP, HSG, CPC |
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RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE. Provides rebates for the installation of eligible electric vehicle-ready parking stalls for new construction of affordable housing.
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EEP, HSG, FIN |
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RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY. Requires contested cases, environmental assessment cases, or environmental impact statement cases involving renewable energy projects over twenty megawatts in size, except cases that involve any form of incineration, to be appealed from an agency's decision directly to the Hawaii Supreme Court for final decision. Requires the cases to be prioritized and decided expeditiously.
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EEP, JHA, CPC |
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RELATING TO RENEWABLE GAS TARIFF. Requires gas utility companies to submit proposed renewable gas tariffs to the Public Utilities Commission by August 31, 2025. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a renewable gas tariff within six months of receiving a proposed renewable gas tariff.
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EEP, CPC, FIN |
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RELATING TO DEPOSIT BEVERAGE CONTAINER RECYCLING. Repeals certain exemptions for beverage dealers from the requirement to operate redemption centers and amends the types of containers they must accept for redemption. Allows the establishment of regional centers for the redemption of refillable beverage containers but not as substitutes for dealers' means to receive deposit beverage containers. Requires the Department of Health to establish a reverse vending machine pilot program to use the Deposit Beverage Container Deposit Special Fund to provide grants to deploy reverse vending machines.
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EEP, CPC, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. Requires the Department of Health to conduct a statewide needs assessment to determine what will be needed to reduce waste generation, increase reuse, improve recycling collection services, and expand local processing of materials through an extended producer responsibility program for packaging materials and paper products. Establishes an advisory council to review the draft needs assessment and propose recommendations throughout the assessment process. Appropriates funds.
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EEP, CPC, FIN |
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RELATING TO ELECTRIC UTILITIES. Requires the PUC to impose certain conditions of approval on any order approving, in whole or in part, an application for the proposed acquisition, merger, or consolidation of an electric utility company by an acquiring entity. Establishes a process to ensure that when an application for the proposed acquisition, merger, or consolidation of an electric utility company is filed with the PUC by an acquiring entity that is an investor-owned utility, alternative applications submitted by entities that operate under a non-investor-owned utilities ownership model are concurrently reviewed.
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EEP, CPC, FIN |
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RELATING TO ELECTRIC UTILITIES. Provides the Public Utilities Commission with the authority to appoint a receiver to take temporary action necessary to assure continued adequate electric services from regulated investor-owned electric utilities. Appropriates funds out of the Public Utilities Commission Special Fund.
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EEP, CPC, FIN |
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RELATING TO RENEWABLE FUEL. Establishes the sustainable aviation fuel import tax credit. Increases the renewable fuels production tax credit amount. Repeals the: (1) cap amount of claimable renewable fuels production tax credit; (2) requirement that the tax credit be claimed for fuels with lifecycle emissions below fossil fuels; and (3) prohibition on claiming other tax credits for the cost incurred to produce renewable fuels. Specifies that the renewable fuels production tax credit can only be claimed for fuels that meet the certain thresholds. Adds an additional tax credit value. Clarifies that a taxpayer who previously claimed a renewable fuels production tax credit may claim another one for taxable years beginning after 12/31/2024. Clarifies and expands required information in the certified statement for the tax credit. Repeals the requirement that the Hawaii State Energy Office provide the taxpayer with a determination of whether the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for each type of qualified fuel produced is lower than that of fossil fuels.
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EEP, ECD, FIN |
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DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW
Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Testimony received after this time will be stamped late and left to the discretion of the chair to consider. While every effort will be made to incorporate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed, may not be processed.
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FOR AMENDED NOTICES: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are bolded.
For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk at (808) 586-8400.
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________________________________________ Rep. Nicole E. Lowen Chair |
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