STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1017-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1545

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1545, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADAPTATION PATHWAYS PLANNING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Land and Natural Resources, in cooperation with appropriate state and county agencies, to prepare and revise regional-scale adaptation pathways plans to lower the risk of flooding and loss due to the sea level rising progressively over time; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the Department to identify appropriate communities for and initiate preparation of one regional sea level rise adaptation pathways plan per county.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; one member of the Maui County Council; Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition; Surfrider Foundation, Hawaiʻi Region; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Climate Resilience Collaborative; and Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1545, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1545, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair