THE SENATE

KA AHA KENEKOA

 

THE THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2024

 

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair

Senator Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, Vice Chair

 

COMMITTEE ON WATER AND LAND

Senator Lorraine R. Inouye, Chair

Senator Brandon J.C. Elefante, Vice Chair

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

 

DATE:

Monday, January 29, 2024

TIME:

1:00 PM

PLACE:

Conference Room 229 & Videoconference

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

TIMESLOT:

 WTL

 

 

PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL

BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY

 

The Legislature is accepting written, videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.

A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.

 

 

A G E N D A

 

 

 

SB 2501

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO THE HAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL.

Requires the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to prioritize the protection of exceptional trees.

 

AEN/WTL, WAM

 

SB 2053

                                               Status & Testimony

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

 

 

SB 2053

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

Appropriates funds for the construction and operation of non-chemical sunscreen dispensers on all state beaches.  Allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to contract or form a partnership with private parties to assist with the maintenance and management of sunscreen dispensers at all state beaches.  Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling is exceeded.  Makes an appropriation.

 

AEN/WTL, WAM

SB 2155

                                               Status & Testimony

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LAND USE POTENTIAL.

 

 

SB 2159

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO FOOD SUSTAINABILITY.

Requires the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, to prepare and periodically update the State Agriculture Functional Plan to include other agricultural economic updates, including seafood sustainability, that expand the State's priority on food by including wild seafood as a viable food source.  Requires the Governor to submit the plan to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2026.

 

AEN/WTL, WAM

 

 

 

SB 2155

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LAND USE POTENTIAL.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to contract a third-party entity to compile a report evaluating the agricultural land use potential of each parcel of state-owned lands greater than five acres, excluding commercial, residential, and department of education lands.  Requires a report.  Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling is exceeded.  Makes an appropriation.

 

AEN/WTL, WAM

 

 

 

SB 2495

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO WATER METERING.

Exempts from acreage assessments land occupiers who have not applied for water service for the following year.  By an unspecified date, requires the Board of Agriculture to amend its administrative rules to require the Department of Agriculture to: maintain an active record of land occupiers within the boundaries of an irrigation district that have not applied for water service or water service connections as prospective consumers and have not drawn water without authorization; immediately discontinue service to a land occupier for non-use if there are no water toll charges for a period of more than 2 years; maintain records of all weir, water meter, and water flow measuring instrument readings taken; make individualized reading records available to land occupiers upon request; provide written notice to land occupiers whenever a weir, water meter, or water flow measuring instrument is removed by the Department for any reason and to cease any associated water toll charges and acreage assessments; establish a formal process for certain land occupiers to contest erroneous water toll charges and acreage assessments; and establish a formal process for land occupiers with outstanding water toll charges and acreage assessments to enter into a reasonable payment plan with the Department.

 

AEN/WTL, WAM

 

 

 

SB 2329

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO AQUACULTURE.

Appropriates funds, including for positions, equipment, and maintenance and operating costs, for mullet production for fishponds and stock enhancement.

 

AEN/WTL, WAM

 

 

 

SB 2147

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO REUSE ZONES.

Requires nonpotable water users and developers of real property located within a certain distance of wastewater treatment plants to use R-1 water.  Makes appropriations.

 

AEN/WTL, WAM

 

 

 

SB 2149

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO PERMITS.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to approve or deny an application related to aquaculture within 90 days from the date that it was submitted.  Establishes two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions within the Division of Aquatic Resources to support the permit review process.  Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling is exceeded.  Makes an appropriation.

 

AEN/WTL, WAM

 

 

 

SB 2205

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO COMMERCIAL USE PERMITS.

Amends state boating law policy to include a provision to promote and attain every person's right to a clean and healthful environment.  Prohibits the Department of Land and Natural Resources from renewing a commercial use permit if renewal would cause nearshore water overcrowding or harm, or potential threats to, the environment.

 

WTL/AEN, JDC

 

 

 

SB 2148

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO AQUARIUM FISH PERMITS.

Exempts persons engaging in aquaculture research from the aquarium fish permit requirement.

 

WTL/AEN, WAM

 

 

 

 

Decision Making to follow, if time permits.

 

All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.

 

Please go to the Legislature's website, www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the "Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony, you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.

 

Please note the following:

 

·         The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify orally.

·         Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 2 minutes each.

 

If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a direct link to the instructions: https://capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf

 

For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or [email protected]. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.

 

For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you require other auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., interpretive services (oral or written) or ASL interpreter), or are unable to submit testimony via the website due to a disability, please contact the committee at [email protected] at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.

 

For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored.  If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT (808) 586-6693.

 

 

 

_____________________________________

Senator Lorraine R. Inouye

Chair

 

_____________________________________

Senator Mike Gabbard

Chair