STAND. COM. REP. NO.  218

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 887

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 887 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to promote the use of environmentally-friendly hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Hawaii by requiring the Department of Accounting and General Services to create, implement, and report to the Legislature on a process to replace state fleet vehicles with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and appropriating funds for that purpose.

 

     The Blue Planet Foundation and Hawaii Automobile Dealers' Association supported this measure.  The Department of Accounting and General Services submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Adding a new provision giving hydrogen fuel cell vehicles highest priority in state vehicle procurement pursuant to the Hawaii Public Procurement Code, effective July 1, 2017;

 

     (2)  Adding a new provision to include hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in existing exemptions from parking fees and high occupancy vehicle lane restrictions applicable to other alternative fuel vehicles;

 

     (3)  Deleting provisions requiring the Department of Accounting and General Services to procure new hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and dispose of non-hydrogen fuel cell vehicles;

 

     (4)  Amending the Department of Accounting and General Services' reporting requirements to include a report to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2016 regarding recommendations to accomplish the replacement of state fleet vehicles with alternative fuel and fuel-efficient vehicles; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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 H.B. No. 887, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 887, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair