HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
55 |
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE CONSOLIDATION OF STATE ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTIONS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
WHEREAS, environmental issues, including
mitigating and adapting to climate change, reducing carbon emissions, planning
for sea level rise, protecting natural resources, watersheds, and coral reefs,
reducing solid waste, and improving wastewater disposal, are some of the most
pressing and urgent issues of our times; and
WHEREAS, the State has enacted various laws
to address environmental issues; and
WHEREAS, the state divisions, agencies,
offices, officials, and employees that are most involved with these issues are
separated and housed under different departments; and
WHEREAS, the placement of
environmentally-related responsibilities in different departments, divisions,
agencies, and offices deprioritizes environmental issues and hinders
coordination of the implementation of solutions; and
WHEREAS, the absence of a single executive
branch department that bears all the responsibilities for environmental issues
results in an absence of leadership on these urgent issues; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of
Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular
Session of 2019, the Senate concurring, that the Governor is requested to
convene a Department of the Environment and Consolidation of State
Environmental Functions Working Group; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following individuals, or their respective
designees, are requested to serve as members of the working group:
(1) The Governor;
(2) The Director of Health;
(3) The Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources;
(4) The Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control;
(5) The Administrator of the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands;
(6) The Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Coordinator of the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands;
(7) The Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;
(8) The Director of the Office of Planning;
(9) The Executive Director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, Local 152;
(10) The State Director of the United Public Workers, Local 646; and
(11) A representative of a nonprofit organization dedicated to resolving environmental issues, as designated by the Chair of the working group; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor or
the Governor's designee is requested to serve as the Chair of the working group
or, in the alternative, designate a Chair from among the other members of the
working group; and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of the Environment and Consolidation of State
Environmental Functions Working Group be attached to the Governor's office for
administrative purposes; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of the Environment and Consolidation of
State Environmental Functions Working Group is requested to consider and make
recommendations on consolidating the functions of all the existing state
departments, divisions, agencies, and offices that are designated to address
environmental issues into a single Department of the Environment; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department
of the Environment and Consolidation of State Environmental Functions Working
Group is requested to submit to the Legislature a report of its findings and
recommendations, including any proposed legislation, no later than sixty days
prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2021; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department
of the Environment and Consolidation of State Environmental Functions Working
Group shall cease to exist after June 30, 2021; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified
copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Director
of Health; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Director of
the Office of Environmental Quality Control; Administrator of the Office of
Conservation and Coastal Lands; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Coordinator of the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands; Director of
Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Director of the Office of
Planning; Executive Director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association,
Local 152; and State Director of the United Public Workers, Local 646.
State Environmental Functions; Department of the Environment