STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1233-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

 

RE:   S.B. No. 2334

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2334, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PLANNING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to prepare the State of Hawaii for the impacts of climate change by requiring:

 

(1)  The State and counties to incorporate climate change considerations, including findings from the "Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report" prepared by the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (Sea Level Rise Report), into their respective multi-hazard mitigation plans;

 

(2)  The State and counties to develop and establish comprehensive frameworks in pre-disaster planning and post-disaster recovery strategies that address adaptation strategies to sea level rise;

 

(3)  Publicly funded floodplain mapping to include information from the Sea Level Rise Report that anticipates sea level rise and floodplains in terms of a hundred-year flood; and

 

(4)  All counties to participate in the community rating system developed by the National Flood Insurance Program.

 

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Office of Planning, City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency, County of Kauai Planning Department, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Sierra Club of Hawaii, Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition, Friends of Hanauma Bay, Hawaii Shore & Beach Preservation Association, and several concerned individuals supported this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting new language requiring the Public Utilities Commission to consider in all of its actions, the findings in the Sea Level Rise Report and seek to avoid critical electrical infrastructure projects in areas of higher risk to reduce risk to taxpayers and the general public.

 

     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. 2334, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2334, S.D. 2, 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,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair