STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1836

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 837

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 837, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE PLAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to promote the use of green infrastructure in the State.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes green infrastructure objectives, policies, and priority guidelines for state facility systems, infrastructure, and transit projects;

(2) Establishes as a policy of the State the promotion of increased outdoor public green spaces, connection of outdoor public green spaces with existing trails, promotion of increasing the urban tree canopy, and prioritization of the use of Hawaiian plants;

(3) Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, in partnership with the greenhouse gas sequestration task force, to submit to the Legislature a report of its findings and recommendations regarding the implementation of green infrastructure objects, policies, and priority guidelines; and

(4) Appropriates moneys to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Climate Protectors Hawaii, Hawaii Environmental Change Agents' Decarbonization of Buildings Task Force, Kauai Women's Caucus, and one individual.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that promoting the use of green infrastructure in the State will help to decrease urban temperatures, reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and capture water to replenish the State's water table.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation from $150,000 to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Changing the number of full-time equivalent policy analyst positions established from one full-time equivalent position to an unspecified number to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 837, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 837, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair