STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2866

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2095

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2095, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a PFAS Working Group within the Department of Health to investigate the existence and environmental dangers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other related chemicals in the State.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Hawaii Food+ Policy, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition, Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii Chapter, and four individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of human-made chemicals that are widely used in consumer products, industrial processes, and firefighting foams and that persist in the environment and accumulate in the human body over time. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to significant health risks, including cancer, liver damage, developmental issues, weakened immune systems, and endocrine disruptions. Your Committee further finds that PFAS contamination has been detected in water supplies, soil, and air across the United States. Hawaii's geographic isolation and reliance on a delicate, finite freshwater supply heighten the need for a thorough understanding of PFAS contamination in the State and its potential impacts on human health and the environment. Accordingly, your Committee recognizes the value in establishing a working group to investigate and study the existence and environmental dangers of PFAS in the State to better inform the Legislature's policymaking.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2095, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair