STAND. COM. REP. NO. 308

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 347

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. 347 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require owners of multiple parking facilities within any county of the State who aggregate the required parking spaces for electric vehicles to aggregate the spaces within that same county.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Hawaii State Energy Office, Big Island Electric Vehicle Association, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, 350Hawaii.org, Hawaii Electric Vehicle Association, and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Retail Merchants of Hawaii. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board.

Your Committee finds that existing law requires that places of public accommodation with at least one hundred parking spaces have at least one parking space fitted with an electric vehicle charging system. Additionally, the law provides owners of multiple parking facilities within the State the option to aggregate the requirement to a single location. This measure clarifies that the aggregation of electric vehicle charging systems by an owner should remain within the same county to prevent required electric vehicle charging systems from being aggregated across counties, ensuring a more equitable adoption of electric vehicle infrastructure for each county.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring that a parking space equipped with an electric vehicle charging system and required to be accessible remain accessible when aggregated;

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

(3) 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. 347, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 347, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair