STAND. COM. REP. NO. 526

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 635

       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 Water and Land, Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 635 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WATER CONSERVATION,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish a two-year water conservation financial assistance pilot program to provide financial assistance to county-owned public water systems to implement water conservation incentive programs.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; County of Maui, Department of Water Supply; City and County of Honolulu, Board of Water Supply; Surfrider Foundation; Nature Conservancy Hawaii; Hawaii Green Growth; Hawaii Community Foundation; Wai Maoli, Hawaii Fresh Water Initiative; Ulupono Initiative; Maui County Farm Bureau; U.S. Green Building Council, Hawaii Chapter; Sierra Club of Hawaii; One World One Water, LLC; and two individuals.

 

     Your Committees find that as an island state, Hawaii has limited access to natural fresh water.  Your Committees find that a water conservation program that provides financial assistance to county-owned public water systems and their customers to help implement water conservation measures and practices will reduce water use or waste.  Your Committees further find that water conservation is one of the most cost-effective long-term water supply options for the State.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Establishing the two-year water conservation financial assistance pilot program within each of the four county water supply departments, rather than within the Commission on Water Resource Management, and making conforming amendments;

 

     (2)  Requiring each of the four county water supply departments to report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019, including information as to how funds were spent and the results of the investment;

 

     (3)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $500,000 per fiscal year for the two-year water conservation financial assistance pilot program; provided that the appropriation is disbursed to each of the four county water supply departments prorated by population and matched by the counties on a dollar-for-dollar basis; and

 

     (4)  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 Water and Land, Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 635, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 635, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land, Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, and Agriculture and Environment,

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

 

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair

 

 

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair