STAND. COM. REP. NO. 105

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1396

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1396 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CESSPOOLS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a pilot program within the Environmental Management Division of the Department of Health to work with each county to identify a priority area to expand the county sewage system or other centralized treatment system to connect individual properties in the priority area and reduce or eliminate cesspools in the identified area.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai‘i Water Resources Research Center, Mayor of the County of Kaua‘i, County of Hawai‘i Department of Environmental Management, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS, WAI: Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations, Hawai‘i Reef and Ocean Coalition, and three individuals.

Your Committees find that because many cesspools will need to be converted each year, planning and coordination need to occur between state and county agencies, communities and residents affected, and those involved in the replacement of cesspools to ensure an adequate supply of materials, workers, and equipment as demand to convert or connect increases. Creating a pilot program that provides upfront planning funds might encourage the counties to identify the most feasible neighborhoods to connect to an existing or future wastewater treatment plant and could provide the necessary data and plans to assist the counties to implement wastewater connections and scale future programs to ensure cesspools are converted by 2050.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Specifying that the Environmental Management Division of the Department of Health may obtain contractor support to provide any services required to establish and implement the pilot program;

(3) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committees respectfully request your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $10,000,000.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1396, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1396, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Health & Homelessness.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land,

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair

____________________________ NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair