STAND. COM. REP. NO.  537

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 857

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 857 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUSTAINABILITY,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the Environmental Response, Energy, and Food Security Tax by reallocating its revenues from the general fund and making the funds available for environmental response, renewable energy, and food security purposes for which they were intended, and also by repealing its sunset provision.

 

     The Office of the Governor; the Department of Agriculture; the Department of Health; the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Office of Planning; Hawaii Natural Energy Institute of the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Hawaii Green Growth Initiative; Sierra Club, Maui Group; Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Enterprise Honolulu; League of Women Voters of Hawaii; The Nature Conservancy; Conservation Council for Hawaii; Blue Planet Foundation; Hawaii Invasive Species Council; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council; and several concerned individuals provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Tax Foundation of Hawaii and Life of the Land provided comments on this measure.


 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Reinstating the sunset date for the energy systems development special fund and extending it to June 30, 2018; and

 

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

 

     Your Committees note that although there was nearly universal oral and written support for this bill, one person expressed concern that this bill could be improved by addressing the carbon footprint of all energy sources and better define clean energy.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Energy & Environmental Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 857, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 857, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Energy & Environmental Protection,

 

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair

 

____________________________

JESSICA WOOLEY, Chair