STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1139-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2504

S.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2504, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE PROGRAMS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to repeal part II of Act 66, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, which requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to work with the University of Hawaii on workforce development activities that support the development of the Hawaii Pacific Hydrogen Hub and related aspects of the State's hydrogen energy industry.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office and Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.

Your Committees find that in October 2023, the Department of Energy's Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program selected several projects across the country to receive funding to establish a regional clean hydrogen hub. Your Committees further find that part II of Act 66, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, was enacted before those projects were selected, when Hawaii was still in the process of competing for funding through the Program, to support the State's application for the funding; however, as the State's plan was not selected for the Program, this measure repeals part II of Act 66, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Higher Education & Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2504, S.D. 2, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Higher Education & Technology,

____________________________ AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair

____________________________ NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair