STAND. COM. REP. NO. 449-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2316

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. 2316 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEAD MATERIALS IN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to strengthen restrictions on lead use in drinking water by aligning state law with more restrictive federal lead use prohibitions as adopted in title 40 Code of Federal Regulations sections 143.12 and 143.13.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; State Health Planning and Development Agency; Plumbers and Fitters United Association Local 675; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-523) allows the Environmental Protection Agency to authorize states to exercise primary enforcement responsibility, or primacy, for regulating public water systems and that the State has been granted primacy to enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act. Your Committee further finds that under federal requirements for state primacy, states must adopt regulations that are at least as stringent as federal regulations. Updates to title 40 Code of Federal Regulations sections 143.12 and 143.13 took effect in 2020 to strengthen restrictions on lead in drinking water. This measure is therefore necessary to align state lead use regulations with those more restrictive federal regulations.

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. 2316 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair