STAND. COM. REP. NO. 758

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 

 

RE:     S.B. No. 1024

        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 S.B. No. 1024, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve zero emissions across all transportation modes within the State.

 

     More specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Establishes goals for the State to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve zero-emissions transportation across all sectors of ground, interisland, and transpacific transportation;

 

     (2)  Establishes the clean ground transportation working group and the interisland and transpacific clean transportation working group to help the State to achieve these goals; and

 

     (3)  Requires the Department of Transportation, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, and Hawaii State Energy Office to take certain actions to help the State achieve zero-emissions transportation.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office, Big Island Electric Vehicle Association, Blue Planet Foundation, Climate Protectors Hawaii, Hawaii Bioeconomy Trade Organization, Hawaii EV Association, Hawaiian Airlines, Kauai Climate ACTION Coalition, SanHi Government Strategies, and numerous individuals.

 

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

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Hawaii Automobile Dealers' Association, SanHi Government Strategies, and Ulupono Initiative.

 

     Your Committee finds that greenhouse gas emissions from transportation account for the largest share of energy sector greenhouse gas emissions in the State.  Accordingly, your Committee believes that for the State to achieve its goal by 2045 of sequestering more greenhouse gases than emitted, this measure's focus on promoting clean ground, interisland, and transpacific transportation alternatives is important.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

 

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

 

     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 S.B. No. 1024, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1024, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair