STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3541

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 146

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.R. No. 146 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO INVESTIGATE AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO REDUCE THE IMPORTATION OF PRODUCTS, PACKAGING, OR MATERIALS CONTAINING PERFLUOROALKYL AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES INTO THE STATE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Health to investigate and implement policies to reduce the importation of products, packaging, or materials containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances into the State.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the American Chemistry Council, Inc.

Your Committees find that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, or forever chemicals, are persistent toxic substances that can contaminate drinking water, bioaccumulate in fish and wildlife, have adverse health effects on humans, and do not break down in the environment. Your Committees further find that any PFAS imported into the State pose a risk to human health and will eventually enter the food chain and contaminate already scarce drinking water aquifers. This measure supports the Department of Health's mission to protect the health and safety of residents of the State by requesting the investigation and implementation of proactive measures to reduce the importation of PFAS into the State.

Your Committees note concerns raised in the Department of Health's testimony that this measure's requested investigation will be difficult to fulfill considering the significant number of products containing PFAS and a lack of resources allocated to the Department of Health to conduct this investigation.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by inserting language to request the Department of Health to pursue funding for the implementation of the investigation to reduce the importation of products, packaging, or materials containing PFAS into the State.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 146, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 146, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair