STAND. COM. REP. NO.  499

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 591

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 591 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a Climate Change and Health Working Group to examine various potential health impacts of climate change and to assist Hawaii's health professions in effectively and efficiently preparing for and responding to those health impacts.

 

     The measure also requires the Interagency Climate Adaptation Committee to include the Climate Change and Health Working Group's findings and recommendations in the Interagency Climate Adaptation Committee's sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation reports.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, the Office of Environmental Quality Control, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, the Hawaii Public Health Association, and one individual.  The University of Hawaii and the Office of Planning provided comments on the measure.

 

     Your Committees find that there is overwhelming evidence that human activities are altering the earth's climate and that climate change will have significant local and global health impacts.  Your Committees further find that Hawaii is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to its unique geographic location and isolation.  Your Committees believe that this measure will improve the State's ability to prepare for and respond to various potential health impacts of climate change.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting provisions relating to the Climate Change and Health Working Group and instead requiring the Interagency Climate Adaptation Committee to prepare public health vulnerability and adaptation reports that include substantially similar provisions;

 

     (2)  Requiring the Interagency Climate Adaptation Committee to assist with coordinating the implementation of climate change policies developed by county, state, and federal agencies;

 

     (3)  Reorganizing the provisions of section 225P-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the general functions, duties, and powers of the Interagency Climate Adaptation Committee; and

 

     (4)  Making conforming amendments to the final paragraph of the measure's purpose section to reflect the substantive provisions of the measure, as amended.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 591, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 591, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Health.

 

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

 

 

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair