STAND. COM. REP. NO. 411

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 188

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 188 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CARBON SEQUESTRATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Hawaii Carbon Smart Land Management Assistance Pilot Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; Pacific Agricultural Land Management Systems; Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; The Nature Conservancy, Hawai‘i and Palmyra; Hawaii Environmental Change Agents Carbon Sequestration Task Force; and seven individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that climate change has led to an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, which puts greater stress on the State's vulnerable food supply chain and water supplies. Furthermore, in addition to cutting emissions from burning carbon, Hawaii needs to mitigate climate change by sequestering greenhouse gas emissions through regenerative agriculture and forest preservation. This measure incentivizes nature-based actions that improve soil health and sequester carbon resulting in a rich and diverse landscape of soil health and water security.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the 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 Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $1,000,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 188, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 188, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair