STAND. COM. REP. NO. 178-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2423

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. 2423 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require that all public works construction projects conform to certain carbon concrete standards.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Our Revolution Hawaii, Climate Protectors Hawai‘i, Kauai Women's Caucus, 350Hawaii.org, Hawaii Interfaith Power and Light, and seven individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the City and County of Honolulu Department of Design and Construction and Cement and Concrete Products Industry of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that managing and reducing a building's carbon footprint are increasingly important in building design, as reducing a building's carbon footprint can reduce running costs and increase efficiency in material design. Requiring the State to use lower carbon technologies in its buildings and projects, where feasible and cost effective, will provide an opportunity for the State to achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2045.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting provisions relating to carbon concrete standards and inserting requirements for state building construction projects and state highway projects to use building and construction materials that seek to reduce the carbon footprint of the building or project, where feasible and cost effective, under chapters 107 and 264, Hawaii Revised Statutes, respectively;

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

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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. 2423, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2423, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair