STAND. COM. REP. NO. 103

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1410

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1410 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEPOSIT BEVERAGE CONTAINERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require deposit beverage container dealers with more than a certain number of locations in the State to have at least one operating reverse vending machine at each location;

(2) Establish a Reverse Vending Machine Endowment Subaccount within the Deposit Beverage Container Deposit Special Fund to purchase and maintain reverse vending machines to assist dealers in meeting these requirements; and

(3) Specify that monies in excess of an unspecified amount in the Deposit Beverage Container Deposit Special Fund shall lapse to the general fund at the end of every fiscal year.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that although most people care about the environment and desire to recycle, it is often inconvenient to recycle deposit beverage containers. Utilizing reverse vending machines provides an automated method for collecting, sorting, and handling the return of used deposit beverage containers for recycling or reuse. This measure would make more reverse vending machines available and provide the public with convenient opportunities to recycle their deposit beverage containers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that monies in the Deposit Beverage Container Deposit Special Fund may be used for grants to deploy reverse vending machines in the State;

(2) Deleting language that would have established a Reverse Vending Machine Endowment Subaccount;

(3) Deleting language that specified that monies in excess of an unspecified amount in the Deposit Beverage Container Deposit Special Fund shall lapse to the general fund at the end of each fiscal year;

(4) Deleting language that would have required deposit beverage container dealers with more than a certain number of locations in the State to have at least one operating reverse vending machine at each location;

(5) Inserting language that requires the Department of Health to establish a pilot program to provide grants for deploying reverse vending machines in the State;

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

(7) 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. 1410, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1410, 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