Bill Text: HI HB1017 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To The Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-29 - Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Thursday, 02-06-25 9:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. [HB1017 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2025-HB1017-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1017 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE GREENHOUSE GAS SEQUESTRATION TASK FORCE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
"(b) Subject to legislative appropriation, moneys from the fund may be expended by the Hawaii state energy office for the following purposes and used for no other purposes, except for those set forth in this section:
(1) To support the Hawaii clean energy initiative program and projects that promote and advance dependable and affordable energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy self-sufficiency, and greater energy security and resiliency for the State and public facilities;
(2) To
fund, to the extent possible, the climate change mitigation and adaptation commission
[and the greenhouse gas sequestration task force];
(3) To support achieving the zero emissions clean economy target set forth in section 225P-5;
(4) To fund projects and incentives to promote the adoption of clean transportation technologies, develop clean vehicle charging infrastructure, and upgrade infrastructure to support the development of clean vehicle charging infrastructure; and
(5) To fund, to the extent possible, the duties of the state building code council in section 107-24, as they relate to the development of energy conservation codes."
SECTION 2. Section 225P-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.
["§225P-4 Greenhouse gas sequestration task force. (a)
The greenhouse gas sequestration task force is established within the office
of planning and sustainable development for administrative purposes only. The task force shall have the following objectives:
(1) Work
with public and private stakeholders to establish a baseline for greenhouse gas
emissions within Hawaii and short- and long-term benchmarks for increasing greenhouse
gas sequestration in the State's agricultural and natural environment;
(2) Identify
appropriate criteria to measure baseline levels and increases in greenhouse gas
sequestration, improvements in soil health, increases in agricultural and aquacultural
product yield and quality attributable to greenhouse gas sequestration and improvements
in soil health, and other key indicators of greenhouse gas benefits from beneficial
agricultural and aquacultural practices that may be used to create a certification
program for promoting agricultural and aquacultural practices that generate greenhouse
gas benefits and agricultural and aquacultural production benefits;
(3) Identify
land and marine use policies, agricultural policies, agroforestry policies, and
mitigation options that would encourage agricultural and aquacultural practices
and land use practices that would promote increased greenhouse gas sequestration,
build healthy soils, and provide greenhouse gas benefits;
(4) Identify
ways to increase the generation and use of compost in Hawaii to build healthy soils;
(5) Identify
practices and policies that add trees or vegetation to expand the urban tree canopy
in urban areas to reduce ambient temperatures, increase climate resiliency, and
improve greenhouse gas sequestration in Hawaii; and
(6) Make
recommendations to the legislature and governor regarding measures that would increase
climate resiliency, build healthy soils, provide greenhouse gas benefits, or cool
urban areas.
(b)
In addition to the objectives listed in subsection (a), the task force may
consider:
(1) Developing
incentives and funding mechanisms for these incentives, including but not limited
to:
(A) Loans, tax credits, or grants;
(B) Research;
(C) Technical assistance; or
(D) Educational materials and outreach,
to
participating agricultural activities, aquacultural activities, or on-farm demonstration
projects that are identified and approved by the task force as those that would
promote greenhouse gas benefits, build healthy soils, sequester carbon, increase
water-holding capacity, and increase crop yields; and
(2) Providing
for research, education, and technical support for agricultural activities and aquacultural
activities identified by the task force.
(c)
The membership of the greenhouse gas sequestration task force shall be as
follows:
(1) The
director of the office of planning and sustainable development or the director's
designee, who shall serve as chairperson;
(2) The
chairperson of the board of agriculture or the chairperson's designee;
(3) The
chairperson of the board of land and natural resources or the chairperson's designee;
(4) The
director of transportation or the director's designee;
(5) The
deputy director of the department of health's environmental health administration
or the deputy director's designee;
(6) The
state sustainability coordinator;
(7) The
director of the environmental law program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa William
S. Richardson school of law;
(8) The
administrator of the division of forestry and wildlife within the department of
land and natural resources or the administrator's designee;
(9) One
member who is also a member of the climate change mitigation and adaptation commission;
(10) One
researcher from the college of tropical agriculture and human resources at the University
of Hawaii at Manoa;
(11) One
extension agent from the college of tropical agriculture and human resources at
the University of Hawaii at Manoa;
(12) Four
members, one each to be appointed by the respective mayors of the city and county
of Honolulu, and the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui; and
(13) Four
members to be jointly selected and invited to participate by the president of the
senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, of which two members shall
be selected from an environmental nonprofit organization, and two members shall
be selected from an agricultural or ranching association.
Task force members may recommend to the task
force additional members with appropriate specialized expertise, subject to approval
by the chairperson.
(d)
Members of the task force shall be nominated and appointed pursuant to, and
subject to section 26-34 and shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed
for reasonable expenses necessary for the performance of their duties, including
travel expenses.
(e)
The greenhouse gas sequestration task force shall:
(1) Submit
a preliminary report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed
legislation, to the legislature and the climate change mitigation and adaptation
commission no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session
of 2023; provided that the preliminary report shall discuss the objectives and issues
listed in subsections (a) and (b), including the following:
(A) Types of agricultural and aquacultural practices,
public land and marine use policies, and on-farm managing practices that
would provide greenhouse gas benefits and result in tangible economic benefits to
agricultural and aquacultural operations;
(B) Short-term and long-term benchmarks that would indicate how effectively
agricultural and aquacultural activities have been helping the State to reach greenhouse
gas neutrality;
(C) Appropriate criteria that may be used in a certification program
to measure baseline levels and increases in carbon sequestration, improvements in
soil health, and other key indicators of greenhouse gas benefits from beneficial
agricultural and aquacultural practices;
(D) Types of incentives, grants, research, and assistance
that would promote:
(i) Agricultural and aquacultural practices to produce greenhouse gas
benefits; and
(ii) Land and marine use policies and agricultural policies that would
encourage agricultural, aquacultural, and land use practices to provide greenhouse
gas benefits and result in tangible economic benefits to agricultural and aquacultural
operations; and
(E) Practices and policies that add trees or vegetation to expand the
urban tree canopy in urban areas to reduce ambient temperatures and increase climate
resiliency and improve greenhouse gas sequestration in Hawaii; and
(2) Beginning
with the regular session of 2024, submit an annual report of its findings and recommendations,
including any proposed legislation, to the legislature and the climate change mitigation
and adaptation commission no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each
regular session.
(f)
The office of planning and sustainable development shall provide administrative
and clerical support required by the task force."]
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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BY REQUEST |
