STAND. COM. REP. NO. 605

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 787

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 787 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DECARBONIZATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, with support from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, to study the feasibility of implementing a "buy clean" state policy and program, including an analysis of best practices and standards informed by scientific evidence.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Procurement Office; Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation Commission; Climate Protectors Hawaiʻi; and Coalition Earth. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee finds that upstream industrial greenhouse gas emissions from the lifecycle of construction materials are an untapped area for decarbonization. Your Committee further finds that numerous states have addressed these sources of emissions by adopting "buy clean" initiatives, which require environmental product declarations for materials used in the construction of capital public projects and direct state agencies to prioritize bids that use materials with the lowest environmental impact. This measure requires the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to study the feasibility of implementing a "buy clean" program in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission and State Procurement Office to collaborate on suggested amendments for this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 787, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 787, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair