STAND. COM. REP. NO. 16-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1620

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1620 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the environmental response, energy, and food security tax and the amount collected from the tax that is deposited into the Electric Vehicle Charging System Subaccount.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Public Utilities Commission; Imua Alliance; Climate Protectors Hawaiʻi; Hawaii Electric Vehicle Association; Earthjustice; Hawaiʻi Youth Transportation Council; Our Children's Trust; and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Taxation; Hawaii State Energy Office; and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the Electric Vehicle Charging System Rebate Program provides rebates for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in certain priority locations. While this Program has been effective, your Committee recognizes that Hawaii still ranks low compared to other states in terms of the availability of public electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Accordingly, this measure seeks to support the availability of this infrastructure by increasing funding for the Electric Vehicle Charging System Rebate Program.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the environmental response, energy, and food security tax rate and the amount collected from the tax that is deposited into the Electric Vehicle Charging System Subaccount to unspecified amounts;

(2) Transferring funds from the Hydrogen Fueling System Subaccount to the Electric Vehicle Charging System Subaccount;

(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 Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider:

(1) An environmental response, energy, and food security tax rate of $1.15 per barrel, with 13 cents of the tax per barrel to be deposited into the Electric Vehicle Charging System Subaccount; and

(2) A transfer amount of $1,000,000 from the Hydrogen Fueling System Subaccount to the Electric Vehicle Charging System Subaccount.

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. 1620, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1620, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Transportation.

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

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair