STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1697

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    H.B. No. 243

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 243, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve the State's adaptation to climate change and sea level rise.

 

     More specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Requires each state department to:

 

          (A)  Identify existing and planned facilities that are vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding impacts, and natural hazards;

 

          (B)  Assess a range of options for mitigating impacts of sea level rise to existing and planned facilities;

 

          (C)  Establish within each executive department staff level points of contact having relevant experience to build internal capacity and work with staff from the Office of Planning and Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to improve interagency coordination for sea level rise adaptation, flooding, and resilience; and

 

          (D)  Submit annual reports to the Governor, Legislature, Office of Planning, and Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission regarding the vulnerability and adaptation assessments for its facilities and progress made toward implementing sea level rise and disaster resiliency considerations; and

 

     (2)  Establishes planning and implementing considerations, policies, and practices related to disaster resilience and climate adaptation as a function of statewide concern.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Sierra Club of Hawaii, Hawaii Reef Ocean Coalition, and five individuals.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Office of Planning.

 

     Your Committee finds that state agencies having operational responsibilities over state facilities must plan, coordinate, and act to adapt to climate change and sea level rise and to ensure the State's sustainable and resilient future.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Office of Planning, in coordination with each state agency having operational responsibilities over state facilities, to:  identify existing and planned facilities that are vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding impacts, and natural hazards; assess a range of options to mitigate the impacts of sea level rise to those facilities; and submit annual reports regarding vulnerability and mitigation assessments for those facilities and the progress made in implementing sea level rise adaptation in future plans, programs, and capital improvement needs and decisions;

 

     (2)  Removing provisions requiring state departments to establish staff level points of contact having relevant experience to build internal capacity and work with staff from the Office of Planning and Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to improve interagency coordination for sea level rise adaptation, flooding, and resilience; and

 

     (3)  Amending the Hawaii State Planning Act to include sustainable development, climate change adaptation, and sea level rise adaptation as objectives for facility systems.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 243, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 243, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair