STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3318

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1669

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1669, H.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:

 

     (1)  Require the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to establish a pilot program to develop a Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan to address climate change and sea level impacts in the Waikiki Special District;

 

     (2)  Require a report to the Legislature; and

 

     (3)  Make an appropriation.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, University of Hawaii System, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Sierra Club of Hawaii, Waikīkī Neighborhood Board, Waikīkī Beach Special Improvement District Association, and three individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Department of Budget and Finance, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's vulnerable coastal communities must plan for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of sea level rise, groundwater inundation, and coastal erosion.  To achieve climate change resiliency plans, comprehensive, feasible, and appropriate adaptation policies, plans, and actions are required to effectively safeguard the State's critical assets in sea level rise exposure areas.  The threat of sea level rise and coastal erosion will impact the water distribution system in low lying and coastal areas and adaptation measures may need to be prioritized and implemented.  While Waikiki serves as a major economic hub not only for the City and County of Honolulu, but for the State at-large, the creation of climate change adaptation and resilience plans allows the State to pursue climate-change related natural hazard mitigation.  The Waikiki Adaptation and Resilience Plan will also serve as an opportunity for state and county agencies to collaborate on regional planning.

 

     Your Committee notes the testimony of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency regarding alignment of local hazard mitigation planning with statewide hazard mitigation efforts.  Aligning the regional hazard mitigation planning with state efforts would allow the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to maximize the impact of mitigation projects to be consistent with the hazard mitigation plans that are adopted by each county and the state with approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring an implementation strategy as a component of the Waikiki Adaptation and Resilience Plan, to be included in the final report due to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024;

 

     (2)  Inserting a blank appropriation amount for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position within the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to ensure the activities identified within the Waikiki Adaptation and Resilience Plan are carried out;

 

     (3)  Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

 

     (4)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2022.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1669, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1669, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

 

 

 

________________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair