STAND. COM. REP. NO.  406

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1507

      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. 1507 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to mitigate the negative impact of plastic bags on Hawaii's environment by establishing a uniform minimum standard statewide on the use of plastic bags by retailers and establishing a working group to study methods to reduce the use of all disposable bags.  

 

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Rise Above Plastics Coalition; Surfrider Foundation, Oahu Chapter; Surfrider Foundation; The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii; Conservation Council for Hawaii; Worldcentric; and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Health, a council member of the Maui County Council, Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii, and a concerned individual opposed this measure.  Zero Waste Kauai and Consumer Healthcare Products Association offered comments.  

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the establishment of a uniform minimum standard statewide on the use of plastic bags by retailers; and

 

     (2)  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. 1507, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1507, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair