Bill Text: HI HB1669 | 2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Sea Level Rise Adaptation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 30-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-03-22 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. [HB1669 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-HB1669-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1669 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
S.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature recognizes that, given the State's island topography and substantial exposure to climate change hazards, Hawaii's vulnerable coastal communities must plan for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of sea level rise, groundwater inundation, and coastal erosion. The legislature further recognizes that comprehensive, feasible, and appropriate adaptation and resilience policies, plans, and actions are required to effectively safeguard the State's critical assets in sea level rise exposure areas. Accordingly, the legislature established a number of laws that regulate Hawaii's coastal areas, such as the coastal zone management law, chapter 205A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and Act 16, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, which amended the State's coastal zone management policy to include the protection of state beaches and reduction of residential exposure to coastal hazards.
The legislature also established the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission to study and submit recommendations for mitigating and adapting to sea level rise, which the Commission did in its 2017 report, Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report. This report estimates that the 3.2-foot sea level rise that will occur by 2100 will account for a statewide loss of over $19,000,000,000 in land and critical infrastructure; the displacement of 19,800 residents; and the flooding of 6,500 structures and nearly thirty-eight miles of major roads. The report recommends that private and public entities begin planning for the projected sea level rise through adaptation strategies such as beach restoration, new drainage systems, and adaptive urban designs.
The legislature finds that although there are adaptation and mitigation programs that help address the impacts of sea level rise and guide policies at the macro-level, any effective short-term strategy or action must ultimately be acceptable and attuned to those who live and work in the affected community. Residents, property owners, businesses, and others directly affected must be involved in the adaptation and mitigation planning process. Other jurisdictions, such as Boston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz, can offer lessons and shared understanding from their successful resilience planning and design guidelines.
The legislature believes that it should continue to provide leadership and direction to the various counties in monitoring and regulating coastal areas. Because several studies on sea level rise impacts and adaptation measures have been conducted in Waikiki, the legislature proposes using Waikiki as a pilot and demonstration site to develop a science-driven framework for a comprehensive community resilience and adaptation plan. The resulting plan can be refined and applied for use in other coastal communities in the State that share similar geographic and economic characteristics, such as Poipu and Hanalei on Kauai; Kailua and Haleiwa on Oahu; Kahului and Kaanapali on Maui; and Hilo and Kailua-Kona on Hawaii island as examples.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a pilot project where the office of planning and sustainable development will develop the framework for a Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan that addresses the projected impacts of climate change and sea level rise in the State.
SECTION 2. (a) The office of planning and sustainable development shall establish a pilot project to develop an adaptation and resilience plan that addresses the climate change and sea level rise impacts in the Waikiki special district.
(b) The Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan shall assess nature-based designs, as appropriate, and urban designs for sea level rise and coastal flood adaptation, benefit-to-cost economic evaluation of alternatives, technical feasibility assessments that distinguish public from private adaptation strategies, strategies for effective community outreach and engagement, and a timeline for adaptation measures and specific action triggers.
(c) In developing the Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan, the office of planning and sustainable development shall coordinate with representatives from the University of Hawaii, city and county of Honolulu, department of land and natural resources, Waikiki beach special improvement district association, and Waikiki neighborhood board and may consult other private and public stakeholders, including residents and owners of properties in Waikiki, that are critical to developing the plan for Waikiki.
(d) In developing the Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan, the office of planning and sustainable development shall use the best data available on sea level rise and groundwater inundation impacts, community planning and outreach, and successful initiatives in other jurisdictions with similar challenges and may consider the coastal flood adaptation architectural design study by the University of Hawaii sea grant college; sea level rise modeling by the University of Hawaii school of ocean and earth science technology; south shore coastal resilience and connectivity research and proof-of-concept design work by the University of Hawaii community design center; and disaster recovery planning for the Waikiki area by the department of urban and regional planning of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Disaster Preparedness Training Center.
SECTION 3. The office of planning and sustainable development shall submit a preliminary status report of its progress to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2023. The office of planning and sustainable development shall submit the final Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan, including any proposed legislation and an implementation strategy for the Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2024.
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for the development of a Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the office of planning and sustainable development for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for one full-time equivalent position (1.0 FTE) within the office of planning and sustainable development to lead, manage, and procure consultant services to carry out the activities and provide sustained staff support to monitor and coordinate agencies towards plan implementation.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the office of planning and sustainable development for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022; provided that section 4 of this Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022.
Report Title:
Sea Level Rise; Waikiki Adaptation and Resilience Plan; Pilot Program; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Report; Appropriation
Description:
Requires 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. Requires reports to the Legislature. Makes an appropriation. (SD1)
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