STAND. COM. REP. NO. 633

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1543

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 1543 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROCUREMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit the expenditure of state funds by state agencies for the purchase of beverages in plastic bottles or rigid plastic containers, except under certain circumstances.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i and four individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Plastics Industry Association and three individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committees find that plastic waste has an adverse and long-lasting impact on wildlife and on the environment as a whole. Plastic waste is especially damaging when it enters the ocean, where it poses a significant hazard to marine life. Your Committees additionally find that plastic beverage bottles and rigid containers constitute a significant portion of this plastic waste. However, your Committees also find that there are some uses of plastic beverage containers in which the benefits of the use outweigh the comparatively small amount of plastic waste that those uses generate.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Including purchases made in relation to the licensed blind vendor program and purchases of water by the Department of Land and Natural Resources for wildland firefighters of the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, as exceptions to the prohibition on using state funds for the purchase of beverages in plastic bottles or rigid plastic containers; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1543, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1543, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Government Operations,

________________________________ LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair