STAND. COM. REP. NO. 298-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2256

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2256 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Department of Environmental Protection on July 1, 2026;

(2) Create a Department of Environmental Protection Working Group to address the logistics required for the State to establish a Department of Environmental Protection; and

(3) Require the Department of Environmental Protection Working Group to submit a report to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaii State Energy Office.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii has no executive-level department dedicated to the mission of environmental protection and implementing the environmental policy goals enacted by the Legislature. Instead, these functions are dispersed among multiple state departments and agencies having differing missions that either do not focus on the importance of environmental protection or have internal conflicts. Creating an executive-level department dedicated to the protection of the State's environment and natural resources will lead to greater efficiency in addressing Hawaii's environmental issues in a timely and proactive fashion.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding the Comptroller, Director of Human Resources Development, and Director of Finance, or their respective designees, to the Department of Environmental Protection Working Group;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2100, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2256, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2256, 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