STAND. COM. REP. NO. 463

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 644

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 Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 644 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (Commission) to determine which coastal areas to armor and which ones to select for managed retreat.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, IMUAlliance, Life of the Land, and two individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and Building Industry Association of Hawaii.

Your Committees find that Act 32, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, established the Commission to address the urgent issue of sea-level rise in the State. In less than a year, the Commission, which consists of various state and county officials, provided the Legislature with a comprehensive sea-level rise report in which risk levels are clearly identified. Your Committees also find that it is imperative to start implementing the Commission's recommendations from the report and the State needs to start planning and funding the coastal adaptations to sea-level rise now to avoid crises in the next decade.

Your Committees further find that in planning for sea-level rise, identification and determination of shoreline armoring and retreat should be prioritized.

Your Committees have amended this measure by directing the Commission to consider sea levels of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.2 feet high instead of 3, 6, and 9 feet high.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 644, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 644, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Water and Land,

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair