STAND. COM. REP. NO.  655

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2023

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1078

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1078 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL SPECIAL FUND,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish the Water Pollution Control Special Fund to collect fees formerly deposited to the state general fund to create a supplemental source of funding to implement and enforce water quality management as implemented in permits, certifications, and variances; and

 

     (2)  Appropriate funds to be used by the Department of Health for the purposes of the Water Pollution Control Special Fund.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health.

 

     Your Committee finds that as development, population, and tourism continue to grow, the protection of state surface water quality is critical to ensuring that such growth is compatible with environmental protection and public health.  The vast amount of surface waters within the State is not monitored often enough to determine how best to manage, restore, and protect those waters due to limited funding and resources.  This measure establishes a dedicated funding source for the Department of Health to use to support specified water-quality monitoring efforts in the State.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1078, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1078, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair