STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1434-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2101

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 2101, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ORGANIC WASTE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Update certain solid waste reduction goals and establish goals for the reduction of organic waste disposal via incineration, waste-to-energy, or landfill;

(2) Establish benchmark goals to divert organic waste produced within a county by certain facilities;

(3) Require each county to incorporate the goals into its next integrated solid waste management plan revision; and

(4) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; Recycle Hawaiʻi; Solid Waste Reduction Task Force of Hawaii Environmental Change Agents; Climate Protectors Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Reef and Ocean Coalition; Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action; Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Health; Biodegradable Products Institute; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the State did not achieve mandates established by Act 324, Session Laws of Hawaii 1991, to reduce the solid waste stream by fifty percent by 2000. Your Committee further finds that the failure to meet this mandate as well as the State's new commitment under the Aloha+ Challenge, which establishes the goal to reduce the solid waste stream prior to disposal by seventy percent by 2030, necessitate further action to address waste reduction. This measure seeks to encourage the State's environmental efforts by updating and establishing new goals for waste reduction and diversion.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Extending the deadlines for the goals;

(2) Removing the benchmark goals to divert organic waste produced within a county by certain facilities;

(3) Requiring the recycling, bioconversion, and organic waste diversion component to identify and assess methods to achieve certain organic waste stream reduction goals;

(4) Removing the definition of "biodegradable" and amending the definition of "organic waste";

(5) Removing the requirement for counties to incorporate certain goals into their next integrated solid waste management plan revisions;

(6) Removing the appropriation;

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

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

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 S.B. No. 2101, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2101, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair