Bill Text: HI HB591 | 2016 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Interagency Climate Adaptation Committee; Duties; Reports

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-12-17 - Carried over to 2016 Regular Session. [HB591 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2016-HB591-Amended.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	591
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that there is overwhelming evidence that human activities are altering the earth's climate and that climate change will have significant local and global health impacts.  Climate change and related health impacts transcend national borders and it is probable that climate change health impacts in other countries will affect the health of people throughout the United States, including Hawai‘i.  Famine, drought, extreme weather events, and regional conflicts, all likely consequences of climate change, increase the incidence of disease and contribute to various adverse health impacts, making it imperative to address climate change at the national and local level.  Climate change will affect the health of people globally and in Hawai‘i and it is imperative to mitigate the health-related impacts.

     The legislature further finds that as a result of Hawai‘i's unique geographic location and isolation, Hawai‘i is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including contamination or decrease in the water, food, and energy supply.  Various potential health impacts of climate change include respiratory allergies, airway diseases, food-borne diseases, biotoxin exposure, heat-related illnesses, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, vector-borne diseases, and waterborne diseases.  Yet, Hawai‘i's health community lacks the knowledge and training required to prepare for and respond to various potential health impacts of climate change.

     The purpose of this Act is to require the interagency climate adaptation committee to:

     (1)  Assist with coordinating the implementation of climate change policies developed by county, state, and federal agencies; and

     (2)  Prepare public health vulnerability and adaptation reports to assist the State's health professionals effectively and efficiently prepare for and respond to various potential health impacts of climate change.

     SECTION 2.  Section 225P-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§225P-3[]]  Interagency climate adaptation committee; general functions, duties, and powers.  (a)  There is established an interagency climate adaptation committee that shall be placed within the department of land and natural resources for administrative purposes only.

     (b)  Coordination of the committee shall be headed jointly by the chairperson of the board of land and natural resources, or the chairperson's designee, and the director of the office of planning, or the director's designee.  [Among the various potential impacts of climate change, the committee shall, as a first step, focus on and develop sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation reports that shall include:

     (1)  Identification of the major areas of sea level rise impacts affecting the State and counties through 2050;

     (2)  Identification of expected impacts of sea level rise based on the latest scientific research for each area through 2050;

     (3)  Identification of the economic ramifications of sea level rise;

     (4)  Identification of applicable federal laws, policies, or programs that impact affected areas; and

     (5)  Recommendations for planning, management, and adaptation for hazards associated with increasing sea level rise.

The report shall be made publicly available no later than December 31, 2017.]

     [[](c)[]]  The committee shall include the following members:

     (1)  The chairs of the standing committees of the legislature with subject matter jurisdiction encompassing environmental protection and land use;

     (2)  The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources or the chairperson's designee, who shall be the co-chair of the committee;

     (3)  The director of the office of planning or the director's designee, who shall be the co-chair of the committee;

     (4)  The director of business, economic development, and tourism or the director's designee;

     (5)  The chairperson of the board of directors of the Hawaii tourism authority or the chairperson's designee;

     (6)  The chairperson of the board of agriculture or the chairperson's designee;

     (7)  The chief executive officer of the office of Hawaiian affairs or the officer's designee;

     (8)  The chairperson of the Hawaiian homes commission or the chairperson's designee;

     (9)  The director of transportation or the director's designee;

    (10)  The director of health or the director's designee;

    (11)  The adjutant general or the adjutant general's designee;

    (12)  The chairperson of the board of education or the chairperson's designee;

    (13)  The directors of each of the county planning departments, or the directors' designees; and

    (14)  The manager of the coastal zone management program.

     [[](d)[]]  In addition to the members listed in subsection (c), the chairs of the committee may request the participation or input of members of the public; experts in the field; and county, state, or federal officials, as necessary [for the formulation of the report.

     [(e)]  In developing the report, the committee shall:

     (1)  Solicit public views and concerns; and

     (2)  Coordinate with the various county, state, and federal agencies involved in ongoing climate change adaptation planning initiatives.

     [(f)]  The committee shall reevaluate and update the sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation report every five years].

     [[(g)]] (e)  The members of the committee shall serve without pay but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in carrying out their duties.

     (f)  The committee shall:

     (1)  Assist with coordinating the implementation of climate change policies developed by the various county, state, and federal agencies involved in ongoing climate change adaptation planning initiatives; and

     (2)  Develop climate change reports and recommendations, to be made publicly available no later than December 31, 2017, and shall reevaluate the recommendations and update the reports every five years.  The reports shall include:

         (A)  Sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation reports, prepared in coordination with the office of planning, which shall include:

              (i)  Identification of the major areas of sea level rise impacts affecting the State and counties through 2050;

              (ii)  Identification of expected impacts of sea level rise based upon the latest scientific research for each area identified under clause (i) through 2050;

            (iii)  Identification of the economic ramifications of sea level rise;

              (iv)  Identification of applicable federal laws, policies, or programs that impact affected areas identified under clause (i); and

               (v)  Recommendations for planning, management, and adaptation for hazards associated with increasing sea level rise; and

         (B)  Public health vulnerability and adaptation reports to assist the State's health professionals effectively and efficiently prepare for and respond to various potential health impacts of climate change, prepared in coordination with the Hawaii Public Health Association and other stakeholders identified by the committee, which shall include:

               (i)  Developing, integrating, and maintaining state and regional disease surveillance and monitoring systems to respond to various potential health impacts of climate change, including but not limited to water and food safety and security, vector-borne infectious disease, respiratory and cardiovascular health, mental and behavioral health, and community or population-specific health;

              (ii)  Creating evidence-based tools to predict and monitor the public health impacts of climate change in the State;

             (iii)  Identifying and prioritizing communities and populations that may be vulnerable to various potential health impacts of climate change, and developing a strategy to inform and protect these communities and populations;

              (iv)  Developing and recommending programs for public health care professionals and the public to promote climate-change preparedness and response strategies related to public health;

               (v)  Developing and recommending ways to strengthen the workforce's ability to prepare for and respond to the various potential health impacts of climate change by expanding and training the public health workforce; and

              (vi)  Developing and recommending ways to advance, implement, and support state and local preparedness, including communication and response plans.

(g)  In developing reports and recommendations, the committee shall:

     (1)  Solicit public views and concerns; and

     (2)  Coordinate with the various county, state, and federal agencies involved in ongoing climate change adaptation planning initiatives."

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

 

Report Title:

Interagency Climate Adaptation Committee; Duties; Reports

 

Description:

Requires the interagency climate adaptation committee to assist with coordinating the implementation of climate change policies developed by county, state, and federal agencies.  Requires the committee to prepare public health vulnerability and adaptation reports to assist the State's health professionals effectively and efficiently prepare for and respond to various potential health impacts of climate change. (HD1)

 

 

 

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