CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 79

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 1318

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1318, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUSTAINABILITY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Environmental Advisory Council within the Office of Planning to replace the existing Environmental Council;

(2) Transfer the rights, powers, employees, appropriations, and other personal property from the Office of Environmental Quality Control to the Office of Planning;

(3) Amend the ability for an applicant to appeal nonacceptance of an environmental impact statement from the Environmental Council to the Environmental Court; and

(4) Repeal certain provisions relating to the Office of Environmental Quality Control and Environmental Center of the University of Hawaii.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting provisions that would have required the Environmental Advisory Council to be an adjudged party for hearing appeals relating to the acceptance or nonacceptance of an environmental impact statement;

(2) Clarifying that the current members of the Environmental Council shall continue to serve for the remainder of their respective terms as initial members of the Environmental Advisory Council;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2021; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1318, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1318, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD Chair	____________________________ NICOLE E. LOWEN Co-Chair
____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE Co-Chair	____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE Co-Chair
____________________________ SHARON MORIWAKI Co-Chair
____________________________ KARL RHOADS Co-Chair
____________________________ DRU KANUHA Co-Chair