STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1150-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2513

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

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 Water & Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2513, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WASTEWATER SYSTEMS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a three-year New Wastewater System Demonstration Pilot Program within the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; WAI: Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations; Hawaiʻi Reef and Ocean Coalition; Coral Reef Alliance; SCHHA Molokai Mokupuni; and six individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committees find that cesspools are a threat to the health of the State's residents and environment. Your Committees further find that there are approximately eighty-two thousand cesspools that will need to be upgraded, converted, or connected by 2050. This measure encourages the review and implementation of new technologies in wastewater management that could be critical for diverting sewage at scale.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the name of the program to the Wastewater System and Individual Wastewater System Technology Demonstration and Implementation Pilot Program;

(2) Changing the entity that the Program is established under to the University of Hawaii Water Resources Research Center and making the Center responsible for reporting requirements;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000 to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committees respectfully request your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider the following appropriation amounts:

(1) $89,500 per fiscal year to establish one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Engineer V (SR-26) position; and

(2) $82,700 per fiscal year to establish one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Engineer IV (SR-24) position.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2513, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2513, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Higher Education & Technology.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land,

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair

____________________________ NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair