Bill Text: HI HB555 | 2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To The Environment.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-04 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with Representative(s) Ward voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). [HB555 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2020-HB555-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
555 |
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THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"Chapter
state employee air travel carbon removal
program
§ -1 Definitions. As used in this chapter:
"Agency" means an internal division of a branch of state government, such as a department, division, branch, agency, program, or office, and includes the judiciary and the office of Hawaiian affairs.
"Canoe plants" means plant species originally brought to Hawaii by ancient Polynesian peoples and shall be considered native to Hawaii for the purposes of this chapter.
"Carbon removal" means a reduction in carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases in, or emitted into, the atmosphere that is achieved by, or on behalf of, a person or entity to compensate for emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from another activity undertaken by such person or entity. "Carbon removal" includes but is not limited to actions that reduce future greenhouse gas emissions or remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
"Department" means the department of land and natural resources.
"Employee" means an employee of the State including all permanent employees of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The term also includes legislative session staff.
"Greenhouse gas" means any of the following gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexaflouride, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons.
§ -2 State employee air travel carbon removal program. (a) The governor, president of the senate, speaker of the house of representatives, chief justice, and chairperson of the office of Hawaiian affairs shall establish a policy for their respective branches of state government that requires all agencies to participate in an employee air travel carbon removal program established and administered by the department to remove carbon emissions caused by air travel undertaken by an employee of an agency in performance of the employee's official duties. The fee for carbon removal required for an employee trip, as determined by the department under subsection (b), shall be paid to the department by the agency whose employee made the trip.
(b) The state employee air travel carbon removal program to be established and administered by the department pursuant to subsection (a) shall include:
(1) A procedure for determining the amount of
carbon dioxide emissions in metric tons that result from air travel by a single
airline passenger, based on the average fuel consumption and corresponding
carbon dioxide emission per kilometer traveled for the aircraft in which the
single airline passenger traveled, passenger capacity of the aircraft, and
distance traveled;
(2) Carbon dioxide-reducing projects to be implemented by or on behalf of the department from fees required under this section, which may include but not be limited to projects for the reforestation of degraded areas of Hawaii by planting trees native to Hawaii such as koa varieties, sandalwood varieties including Iliahi, Laauala, Wahieala, Aoa, Aahi, and canoe plants;
(3) A methodology to determine the:
(A) Amount in metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the carbon dioxide equivalent of other greenhouse gases, to be eliminated from future emissions or to be absorbed from the atmosphere by carbon removal program projects; and
(B) Cost, including materials, labor, and administrative costs, per unit metric ton of carbon dioxide reduction;
(4) A procedure, based on the information
developed through paragraphs (1) to (3), for calculating the fee to be assessed
to an agency for the amount of carbon removal in metric tons that is equivalent
to the amount of carbon dioxide emissions attributable to a specific airline
trip by an employee of the agency; and
(5) A record system to track the allocation of carbon emission reductions from carbon removal program projects to specific carbon removal requests for employee trips and the remaining carbon removal capacity of any project for future carbon removal requests.
(c) Fees received by the department from state agencies for carbon removal provided under this section for employee air travel shall be used by the department to defray the costs of projects implemented through the carbon removal program.
(d) In administering the state employee air travel carbon removal program, the department may contract with public or private entities to implement carbon removal program projects, such as the planting of trees.
(e) The department may adopt rules, pursuant to chapter 91, to effectuate the purposes of this chapter."
SECTION 2. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.
Report Title:
State Employees; Air Travel; DLNR; Carbon Removal Program
Description:
Requires state agencies to participate in a carbon removal program to reduce carbon emissions caused by their employees' air travel. Requires DLNR to establish and administer a state employees air travel carbon removal program that imposes a fee to implement carbon removal projects. Takes effect on 7/1/2050. (HD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
