STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2122

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2724

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2724 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to establish a pilot program to convene a working group to develop a Waikiki adaption and resilience plan to address climate change and sea level impacts in the Waikiki Special District;

(2) Require a report to the Legislature; and

(3) Make an appropriation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, University of Hawai‘i System, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Waikīkī Beach Special Improvement District Association, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, Department of the Attorney General, and Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's vulnerable coastal communities must plan for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of sea level rise, ground-water inundation, coastal erosion, and other adverse impacts of climate change. With comprehensive, feasible, and appropriate actions, and resilience policies, plans, and actions, the State can effectively safeguard critical assets susceptible to sea level rise exposure. In 2020, the State established laws to regulate Hawaii's coastal areas, such as the Coastal Zone Management Act, and Act 16, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, to address coastal zone management policies to include protection of state beaches and reduction of residential exposure to coastal hazards.

To combat rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and coastal zone management issues arising from climate change impacts, this measure requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to conduct a pilot program to create the Waikiki Adaption and Resilience Plan that addresses impacts of projected climate change and sea level rise.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a blank appropriation amount; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2724, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2724, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

________________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair