Bill Text: HI SB737 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Related To Toxic Chemicals.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-23 - Referred to AEN/HHS, CPN/WAM. [SB737 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2025-SB737-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
737 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
related to toxic chemicals.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
Many PFAS chemicals were used in the mid-20th century in products and on materials due to their enhanced water-resistant properties, like Teflon or aqueous film forming foam, before the environmental impact and toxicity to human and mammalian life had been studied. PFOS, PFOA, and other PFAS chemicals are commonly described as persistent organic pollutants or "forever chemicals" because they remain in the environment for long periods of time. Residues have been detected in humans and wildlife, prompting concern about impacts on health. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, PFAS exposure is linked to increased risk of dyslipidemia (abnormally high cholesterol), suboptimal antibody response, reduced infant and fetal growth, and higher rates of kidney cancer.
Health concerns related to PFAS have resulted in numerous lawsuits. PFAS producers such as 3M, Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva have reached billion-dollar agreements to settle claims. The use of PFAS is regulated in several parts of the world, with some plans to phase them out entirely from products.
Chemical corporations that produce PFAS generate approximately four billion dollars in annual profits from the production of these chemicals globally, but they impose monumental costs on taxpayers and the health of the planet's human and animal populations. Of these costs, the most expensive are remediation efforts to fight PFAS soil and water contamination, followed by the healthcare costs to treat cancer, thyroid disease, kidney dysfunction, birth defects, and other major medical conditions that have been linked to even low levels of exposure to PFAS, and followed by the costs of monitoring of PFAS pollution in human and other life forms. The International Chemical Secretariat has estimated that PFAS cost the world over seventeen trillion dollars annually.
The legislature further finds that PFAS have been frequently documented in marine
species that are commonly consumed by humans, posing potential health risks. Studies on the bioaccumulation in certain
species are important to determine daily tolerable limits for human consumption,
and where those limits may be exceeded causing potential health risks. Local communities may face economic and food
source consequences due to potential future advisories, fishing limits, or
closures for certain species due to their PFAS content.
In
accordance with its PFAS Strategic Roadmap, the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting studies on PFAS's detrimental effects and
potential regulations. In April 2024,
based on initial findings, the EPA announced the first national, legally
enforceable drinking water standard relating to regulating PFAS.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a
long-term task force to increase publicly available information and proactively
plan for future regulation regarding PFAS and regulated chemical substances.
SECTION 2. (a) There is established within the office of the governor for administrative purposes the PFAS working group. The PFAS working group shall comprise:
(1) The director of health, who shall serve as the chairperson of the working group;
(2) The chairs of the house of representatives and senate standing committees with subject matter jurisdiction encompassing environmental protection and restoration;
(3) A representative from each county, to be selected and invited by the mayor of each county;
(4) Two representatives from established Hawaii organizations whose mission statements or purposes are dedicated to environmental protection, including protection against contamination by environmental toxins, who shall be designated and invited by the governor; and
(5) Two representatives of the business community that manufacture or sell products containing PFAS, who shall be designated and invited by the governor.
(b) The working group shall proactively plan for the remediation of PFAS contamination throughout the State. To accomplish this objective, the working group shall:
(1) Identify the presence, character, location, and controlling authority of all major accumulations of PFAS and related chemicals, or both, within the State;
(2) Propose plans of action, including but not limited to proposals for legislation and litigation, remediation, or elimination of all major accumulations of PFAS and related chemicals within the State;
(3) Identify any known contaminants or environmental hazards associated with the inventoried lands, any environmental studies performed in connection with the lands, and any required remediation;
(4) Affirmatively engage in a public information campaign to advise the public of the dangers of PFAS and related chemicals, and actions that the public may undertake to limit their exposure to these chemicals;
(5) Encourage the business community to become more aware of the presence of PFAS and related chemicals in products and product packaging, make the community aware of the dangers of such chemicals, and encourage members of the community to adopt practices to eliminate or at least reduce the presence of these chemicals in the products that members of the community use and sell; and
(6) Perform any other objectives deemed necessary by the working group.
(c) Members of the working group shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses necessary for the performance of their duties. No member of the working group shall be subject to chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of the member's participation in the working group.
(d) The working shall report to the legislature as follows:
(1) Submit
a preliminary report of its findings and recommendations, including any
proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
convening of the regular session of 2026; and
(2) Submit subsequent reports on its
findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the
legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular
session thereafter.
The reports shall include status updates on each of the tasks specified in subsection (b).
(e) The working group shall cease to exist on January 1, .
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Toxic Chemicals; Working Group; PFAS; Reports
Description:
Establishes a temporary working group in the Office of the Governor to investigate the existence and environmental dangers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and related chemicals. Requires reports to the Legislature.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
