STAND. COM. REP. NO.  530

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1140

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1140 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CESSPOOLS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to protect Hawaii's environment by establishing a cesspool conversion tax credit for owners of cesspools who convert a cesspool into a septic system or an aerobic treatment unit system or who connect a cesspool to a sewer system.

 

     A member of the Hawaii County Council, the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and a concerned individual supported the measure.  The Department of Health, Department of Taxation, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by merging provisions from H.B. No. 153, a similar measure that was heard by your Committee.  As amended, this measure offers financial assistance to cesspool owners by establishing a cesspool upgrade, conversion, or connection income tax credit for an unspecified amount for cesspool owners who:

 

     (1)  Upgrade or convert a cesspool into a septic system or an aerobic treatment unit system; or

 

     (2)  Connect a cesspool to a sewer system.

 

     In addition, your Committee amended this measure to repeal the tax credit on December 31, 2020.

 

     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. 1140, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1140, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair