SB2724 SD1

SECTION 1. The legislature recognizes that, given the State's island topography and substantial exposure to climate change hazards, Hawaii's vulnerable coastal communities must plan for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of sea level rise, ground-water inundation, and coastal erosion. The legislature further recognizes that comprehensive, feasible, and appropriate adaptation and resilience policies, plans, and actions are required to effectively safeguard the State's critical assets in sea level rise exposure areas. Accordingly, the legislature established a number of laws that regulate Hawaii's coastal areas, such as the Coastal Zone Management Act, Chapter 205A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and Act 16, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, which amended the State's coastal zone management policy to include the protection of state beaches and reduction of residential exposure to coastal hazards.

Through law, the legislature also established the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission to study and submit recommendations for mitigating and adapting to sea level rise, which the Commission did in its 2017 report, Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report. This report estimated that the 3.2-foot sea level rise that will occur by 2100 will account for a statewide loss of over $19,000,000,000 in land and critical infrastructure; the displacement of 19,800 residents; and the flooding of 6,500 structures and nearly thirty-eight miles of major roads. The report recommended that private and public entities begin planning for the projected sea level rise through adaptation strategies such as beach restoration, new drainage systems, and adaptive urban designs.

The legislature finds that although there are adaptation and mitigation programs that help address the impacts of sea level rise and guide policies at the macro-level, any effective short-term strategy or action must ultimately be acceptable and attuned to those who live and work in the affected community. Residents, property owners, businesses, and others directly affected must be involved in the adaptation and mitigation planning process. Other jurisdictions, such as Boston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz, can offer lessons and shared understanding from their successful resilience planning and design guidelines.

The legislature believes that it should continue to provide leadership and direction to the various counties in monitoring and regulating coastal areas. Because several studies on sea level rise impacts and adaption measures have been conducted in Waikiki, the legislature proposes using Waikiki as a pilot and demonstration site to develop a science-driven framework for a comprehensive community resilience and adaptation plan. The resulting plan can be refined and applied for use in other coastal communities in the State that share similar geographic and economic characteristics, such as Poipu and Hanalei on Kauai; Kailua and Haleiwa on Oahu; Kahului and Kaanapali on Maui; and Hilo and Kailua-Kona on Hawaii Island as examples.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a pilot project where a working group convened by the office of planning and sustainable development will develop the framework for a Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan that addresses the impacts of the projected climate change and sea level rise in the State.

SECTION 2. (a) The office of planning and sustainable development shall convene a Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan working group as a pilot project to develop an adaptation and resilience plan that addresses the climate change and sea level rise impacts in the Waikiki special district.

(b) The Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan shall include nature-based and urban designs for sea-level rise and coastal flood adaptation, benefit-to-cost economic evaluation of alternatives, technical feasibility assessments that distinguish public from private adaptation strategies, strategies for effective community outreach and engagement, and a timeline for adaption measures and specific action triggers.

(c) The working group shall comprise of representatives from the University of Hawaii, city and county of Honolulu, department of land and natural resources, Waikiki beach special improvement district association, and Waikiki neighborhood board. The working group may also include other private and public stakeholders, including residents and owners of properties in Waikiki, that are critical to developing a sea level rise community adaptation and resilience plan for Waikiki.

(d) In developing the Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan, the working group shall obtain and use the best data available on sea level rise and groundwater inundation impacts, community planning and outreach, and successful initiatives in other jurisdictions with similar challenges. The working group may consider the coastal flood adaptation architectural design study by the University of Hawaii sea grant college; sea level rise modeling by the University of Hawaii school of ocean and earth science technology; south shore coastal resilience and connectivity research and proof-of-concept design work by the University of Hawaii community design center; and disaster recovery planning for the Waikiki area by the department of urban and regional planning and Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Disaster Preparedness Training Center.

(e) The working group shall dissolve on January 1, 2024.

SECTION 3. (a) The office of planning and sustainable development shall submit a preliminary status report of its progress to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2023. This preliminary status report shall also include any findings, recommendations, proposed legislation, and funding requirements necessary for the completion of the Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan.

(b) The office of planning and sustainable development shall submit the final Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2024.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to fund the initial phase of developing the Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the office of planning and sustainable development for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 4 of this Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2724
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII