STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1318

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 1066

S.D. 2

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 Water & Land and Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1066, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FRESH WATER SECURITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish within the Commission on Water Resource Management a Water Security Working Group to study and recommend, for legislative consideration and approval, priority capital improvement projects, including funding and financing strategies for each project, that leverage public‑private investment to increase Hawaii's water security.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Ulupono Initiative, and four individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committees find that as demonstrated by recent events, such as the fuel contamination caused by the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility as well as longer-term trends such as declining rainfall over the last twenty years due to climate change, there is a greater need than ever before to protect and enhance Hawaii's fresh water resources.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Water Security Working Group to also consider projects that increase the supply of fresh water;

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

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

Your Committees respectfully request your Committee on Finance, should it choose to deliberate on this measure, to consider appropriating $50,000 for the Water Security Working Group.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Energy & Environmental Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1066, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1066, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Economic Development.

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

____________________________ NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair