Bill Text: HI HB1017 | 2025 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To The Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2025-02-28 - Passed First Reading. [HB1017 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2025-HB1017-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1017 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
H.D. 1 |
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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 Section 225P-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.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 on July 1, 3000.
Report Title:
Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force; Repeal
Description:
Repeals the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
