STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1137

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1577

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Education and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1577, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMPOSTING,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a composting pilot project in Department of Education schools.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Kōkua Hawaii Foundation, Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter, Hawaii Center for Food Safety, and seven individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Agriculture.

 

     Your Committees find that composting plays an integral role in food and agricultural sustainability by adding valuable nutrients to the soil.  Your Committees further find that existing composting programs in Hawaii's public schools significantly reduce the amount of wet organic waste produced by participating schools that goes into landfills, and fosters leadership skills and environmental awareness in participating students.  Your Committees additionally find that providing additional resources to expand composting programs to other public schools is in the interest of Hawaii's public school students and the State.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing the chairpersons of House of Representatives and Senate committees from the working group;

 

     (2)  Adding a volunteer member of the community to the working group;

 

     (3)  Establishing the composting grant pilot project working group within the Department of Education instead of the Department of Agriculture;

 

     (4)  Requiring the Department of Education to adopt rules to administer and facilitate the composting grant pilot project; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1577, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1577, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Agriculture and Environment,

 

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair