STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2627

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2364

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.B. No. 2364 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a Plant-Based Building Materials Working Group to study how best to grow plants for the development of plant-based building materials in Hawaii and provide green agricultural jobs while sequestering carbon and other greenhouse gases to help achieve the State's climate target.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Hawaiʻi Forest Industry Association, Hawaiʻi Reef and Ocean Coalition, Citizens' Climate Lobby Hawaii, Building Decarbonization Task Force of the Hawaiʻi Environmental Change Agents, Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, and nine individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committees find that Hawaii's tropical climate, with a year-round growing season and ample rain in many windward areas, offers the potential for growing plant-based materials that can, in turn, be processed into and sold as structural building materials. Your Committees further find that the production of plant-based materials could increase green agricultural jobs statewide, while concurrently helping the State meet its ambitious decarbonization goals. Therefore, this measure establishes the Plant-Based Building Materials Working Group to conduct a study and report on the best practices and implementation strategies for plant-based building material production in the State.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2364 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

________________________________ LYNN DECOITE, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair