Session is out!

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Happy end of the 2018 legislative session everyone. This session was a tough one (although at this point we say that every year) but we made it out to the other side and have several reasons to celebrate—and several reasons to keep working hard as bills move to Governor Ige’s desk.

Here is a quick glance at TOP priority bills that made it out of session. After we take a moment to go outside and get some sunlight, stretch our legs, and take a deep breath we will share with you all a comprehensive review of the remaining bills we followed throughout this session.

Of course, we also want to share a HUGE MAHALO to all of you and your hard work tracking bills, submitting testimony, sharing calls to action, showing up at the capitol and everything in between that helped to keep the good bills going and the bad bills in check.

Signed into law

SB2939, now the Hawaiʻi Ratepayer Protection Act, establishes performance incentives for the electric utility to ensure it earns profits when it provides cheaper, renewable energy to its customers. You can read more about this victory here.

Be sure to take a minute to thank Governor Ige for signing this bill.

Good bills headed to the Governor’s desk

They are almost there. Write to Governor Ige asking him to sign these bills into law.

HB2182, aligns Hawaiʻi’s clean energy and carbon sequestration efforts with climate initiative goals—guides the State to sequester more carbon than it emits by 2045

HB2106, requires sea level rise predictions to be included in environmental assessments and impact statements

HB 2110, directs the Public Utilities Commission to establish a microgrid services tariff to encourage and facilitate the development and use of energy resilient microgrids

HB1986, establishes framework for a carbon offset program through partnership of the Office of Planning and Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force

SB2571, bans the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate in Hawaiʻi

SB3095, bans the use of chlorpyrifos, requires mandatory disclosure of restricted use pesticides, and creates buffer zones around schools

SB2567, establishes a working group with the Health Department to develop a plan for the conversion of all cesspools by 2050

HB1577, establishes compost pilot program to reimburse farmers who purchase compost from a certified processor, dealer, retailer, or wholesaler

Bad bills headed to the Governor’s desk

These bills are too close for comfort. Reach out to the Governor and ask him to veto these bills.

HB1932, allows state agencies to use emergency rules to override legislation and court decisions they do not agree with

SB192, transfers all Natural Area Reserve funds to the general fund

Crossover is upon us!

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The 2018 legislative session is halfway finished! ...and what a whirlwind it has been. For those of you with us for the first time, welcome and thanks for sticking to it! We know it can be fast and furious. Please feel free to reach out with any questions: hawaii.chapter@sierraclub.org

Below is the list of 50 environmental bills we will be pushing after crossover. Please familiarize as necessary! Most bills already have committee referrals, so NOW it is time to contact committee chairs to hear these bills ASAP. Next important deadline: March 23 is second lateral.

What is "crossover", you ask? 

Crossover: deadline for bills to pass third reading in order to move (or “crossover”) to the other chamber. If successful, House bills are sent to the Senate and Senate bills are sent to the House for further consideration.

Click here for a quick view refresher on how a bill becomes a law in Hawaiʻi.

Sea Level Rise

HB 2106 OEQC/Chapter 343 include SLR considerations

SB 2334 SLR planning

SB 3068 Implements recommendations of the SLR report

Clean Energy

HB 1801 Gas utility standard = electric utility standard

HB 1864 Ocean thermal air conditioning

HB 2460 Microgrids

SB 2939 Performance based rates

HB 2724 Office of Clean Energy

HB 2719 Clean energy economy advisory board

SB 2910 Grid resiliency / HB 2249 Grid resiliency

HB 2110 Microgrid tariff

HB 1830 UH Green Special Fund

Carbon

HB 1986 DBEDT carbon revenues

HB 2182 Carbon Sequestration Task Force

SB 1088 Haleakala Carbon Forestry Project FIN

HB 795 Carbon forestry certification WTL, WAM

Cesspools

HB 2626 Third party consultant

SB 2717 Grants for Hawaiian Homelands

SB 2567 Upgrade upon sale

Sunscreens

SB 2571 Oxybenzone/Octinoxate Ban

Polystyrene/Plastics

SB2498 Polystyrene ban

HB 2107 Plastic Pollution Initiative

HB 2718 DAGS county polystyrene

Waste/Recycling

HB 1806 Food donations

HB 1800 Motor vehicle tires

SB 3099 Recycling benchmarks

HB 2025 Composting in schools pilot project

SB 2110 Motor oil collection

Native/Invasive Species

SB 2399 Invasive Species Authority

Pesticides

SB 3095 Buffer zones

SB 2126 Pesticide revolving fund

SB 2569 Pesticide Advisory Committee

Agriculture/Land Use

SB 2524 County land use requirements

SB 2572 Local food production

SB 2561 Conservation districts / HB 2101 Conservation districts

Trails

SB 2331 Na Ala Hele trail funding

Watersheds

HB 2595 DLNR watershed funding

HB 1977 Watershed flood mitigation

Freshwater

HB 1987 Stream study 

SB 2930 Underground Storage Tanks

HB 2592 Water infrastructure funding

DLNR Funding

SB 3038 TAT—>DLNR funding 

General Environment

HB 2026 LRB study to re-org agencies

HB 2470 State and county water and air quality standards

SB 2977 Tourism effects on climate change

SB 2965 Nature-based solutions in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts

Sustainable Development Goals

SB 2667 Clean water and sanitation

SB 2668 Affordable and clean energy

SB 2674 Climate action

SB 2675 Life below water

SB 2676 Life on land

First Lateral Bill Update

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It has been a whirlwind of bill tracking since session started, but we have come to the first lateral deadline (2/16) with many of our priority environmental bills still alive!

First lateral: all bills referred to more than one committee (i.e., those with multiple referrals) must move to their final committee in the originating chamber by this day.

Some of these bills are still sitting in their final committee, which means we need to get them heard before crossover on 3/8. A handful have already made it to crossover!

Crossover: deadline for bills to pass third reading in order to move (or “crossover”) to the other chamber. If successful, House bills are sent to the Senate and Senate bills are sent to the House for further consideration.

Please update your bill trackers with the bill list below. We will start ramping up our calls to action soon, as many of these bills are passing through tougher committees. Our scope is narrowed, now is the time to push hard for these good bills to be passed this session!

*Note: Designated ALL CAPS acronyms refer to the committee the bill is currently sitting in (e.g., FIN = bill still needs to be heard by the Finance Committee before 3/8 in order to make it to crossover). CRSO = the bill has been heard by all committees it was referred to and now it is headed to crossover.

Sea Level Rise

 HB 2468 FIN, HB 2469 FIN, HB 2106 FIN, SB 2442 CPH, SB 694 CPH, SB 2334 CRSO, SB 3068 WAM, SB 3063 WAM, SB 2017 CPH

Cesspools

HB 2626 FIN, HB 2732 FIN,/SB 2642 CPH/AEN/WTL, SB 2717 WAM, SB 2567 CPH

Clean Energy

HB 1801 FIN, HB 1864 FIN, HB 2460 FIN, SB 2939 WAM, HB 2724 FIN, HB 2719 FIN, SB 2910 WAM/HB 2249 FIN, HB 2110 FIN, HB 1830 FIN

Carbon

HB 1986 FIN, HB 2182 FIN, HB 795 WTL/WAM, SB 1088 FIN

Oxybenzone Ban

HB 2723 FIN, SB 2571 CPH

Polystyrene/Plastic

SB2498 CPH, HB 2625 FIN, HB 2107 FIN, SB 2285 JDC/WAM, HB 2718 FIN

Waste/Recycling

HB 1806 CRSO, HB 1800 FIN, HB 2726 FIN/SB 3099 WAM, HB 184 FIN, HB 2025 FIN, HB 2095 FIN, SB 2110 CPH

Native/Invasive Species

SB 636 WAM, SB 2399 WAM, HB 2301 FIN

Pesticides

HB 2721 FIN, HB 2722 FIN, HB 1756 FIN, SB 3095 EDU/WAM, SB 2126 CRSO, SB 2569 CRSO

Agriculture/Land Use

SB 2575 WAM, SB 2524 CPH/PSM/AEN, SB 2572 WAM, SB 2561 WAM HB 2101 FIN

Trails

HB 479 FIN, SB 2331 WAM

Watersheds

HB 2595 FIN, HB 1977 FIN

SDGs

SB 2667 CRSO, SB 2668 WAM, SB 2674 CRSO, SB 2675 WAM, SB 2676 WAM

Freshwater

HB 1987 FIN, SB 2930 CPH, HB 2592 FIN

DLNR Funding

SB 2446 WAM

General Environment

HB 1708 FIN, HB 2026 FIN, HB 2470 FIN

Big Hearings Next Week!

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We are approaching the first big deadline of the 2018 session—first lateral (the deadline for all bills to be assigned to their final committee in the originating chamber) is on Friday, February 16. A handful of our priority bills have hearings scheduled early next week and we need your help! Please submit testimony in support of the following bills 24 hours before the hearing date. 

Notes:
- The bills bolded and starred directly battle climate change
- The bills bolded are identified as priority bills
- Others are additional important bills we want to see passed (while you are at it!)
- CPC: House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce (room 329)
- EEP: House Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection (room 325)
- OMH: House Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs (room 423)
- WAL: House Committee on Water & Land [room 309]
- LAB: House Committee on Labor & Public Employment [room 329]
- WTL/AEN/GVO: Senate Committee on Water and Land/Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment/Senate Committee on Government Operations

MORE ACTION: Please call Chair Takumi and Vice Chair Ichiyama of CPC to ask them to schedule hearings on pesticide bills (HB 2721, HB 2722, HB 1756) this week

Clean Energy

HB 2724 HD1 (LAB 2/13 9:45am)*** - read the bill here
Helps Hawaiʻi build a resilient clean energy economy that takes in more carbon than it produces by 2045

HB 2109 HD1 (CPC 2/13 2:00pm)*** - read the bill here
Narrows available criteria for granting a solar water heater variance.

HB 2249 HD1 (CPC 2/13 2:00pm)*** - read the bill here
Improves Hawaiʻi's grid resiliency programs

HB 2460 HD1 (CPC 2/13 2:00pm) - read the bill here
Establishes a microgrid demonstration project on property controlled by Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority

HB 2719 (EEP 2/13 8:30am) - read the bill here
Establishes the Hawaiʻi clean economy initiative advisory board to advise the State on the transition to a clean energy economy

HB 2110 HD1 (CPC 2/13 2:00pm) - read the bill here
Directs the Public Utilities Commission to encourage and facilitate the development and use of energy resilient microgrids

Sea Level Rise

HB 2106 HD1 (OMH 2/13 10:40am)*** - read the bill here
Requires the the state to adopt rules requiring all environmental assessments and environmental impact statements to include consideration of sea level rise based on the most recent scientific data

HB 2468 (WAL 2/14 10:30am)*** - read the bill here
Explores options and pilot projects for properties that are threatened by sea level rise

SB 3068 (WTL/AEN/GVO 2/15 2:50pm)*** - read the bill here
Requires the state to implement recommendations from the Hawaiʻi Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report

Carbon

HB 1986 HD 1 (CPC 2/13 2:00pm)*** - read the bill here
Establishes programs that allows state agencies and other businesses that offset their carbon emissions

LNG

HB 1801 HD1 (CPC 2/13 2:00pm)*** - read the bill here
Establishes renewable portfolio standards and targets for gas utility companies that mirrors those set for electric utility companies

Species

HB 2301 HD1 (EEP 2/13 8:30am) - read the bill here
Restructures the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council to improve coordination of the State's invasive species prevention, early detection, rapid response, control, enforcement, and outreach programs
 

Waste/Recycling

SB 3099 (CPH/AEN 2/12 1:15pm) - read the bill here
Requires the Department of Health to set benchmarks to reach an eighty-five percent redemption rate by 2023

HB 1800 HD1 (CPC 2/12 2:00pm) - read the bill here
Authorizes each county to establish a car tire recycling program

HB 2625 HD1 (EEP 2/13 8:30am) - read the bill here
Requires the state to remove plastic marine debris from shores and beaches and for the counties to dispose of plastic marine debris collected by the department

Pesticides

SB 3095 (CPH/AEN 2/12 1:15pm) - read the bill here 
Establishes disclosure and public notification requirements for application of pesticides by large-scale, outdoor commercial agricultural operations and pilots a buffer zone project around schools

Oxybenzone sunscreen ban

HB 2723 HD1 (CPC 2/13 2:00pm) - read the bill here
Prohibits the sale of sunscreen containing oxybenzone

Poisoning Our Island Paradise

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Content provided by the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action, the Hawaiʻi Center for Food Safety and the Protect Our Keiki Coalition.

 

It’s a big week for pesticide-related bills at the state legislature. On Thursday, February 8th at 10:30am, the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection with the House Committee on Agriculture will be hearing important bills to regulate pesticides statewide.

Please take 2 minutes to provide testimony in support of these important bills below! 

The deadline for testimony is Wednesday, February 7th at 10:30am. (if you don't get it in by then, it will be late, but still helpful)!

Please submit separate testimonies for each Bill. It will only take a few seconds each!

 

SUPPORT CRITICAL PESTICIDE REGULATION BILLS

 

1. Support HB 2721: Statewide Pesticide Disclosure & Public Notification


Why is this important?
Hawai‘i’s communities have no choice but to live, work, and commute daily in areas under threat of toxic pesticide drift – and they do not have access to information that would allow them to protect themselves from this vital threat. Children in-utero and early childhood who are exposed to low-level restricted use pesticides are at risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities like autism and ADHD, as well as leukemia and asthma. With agrochemical companies spraying 2 out of every 3 days, mandatory public disclosure will ensure that industrial agriculture is held responsible for the potential impacts of its pesticides on human health and the environment.

What does the bill do?
HB 2721 will establish public notification requirements when pesticides are sprayed in proximity of schools, healthcare facilities, childcare facilities, elder care facilities, and other environmentally sensitive areas. Read more about HB2721.
 

CLICK HERE: Add your name and submit testimony in support of HB2721
 

 

SUPPORT BILLS BANNING DANGEROUS PESTICIDES

  
2. Support HB 1756: Ban the highly toxic insecticide chlorpyrifos

Why is this important?
Chlorpyrifos is a threat to communities, farmworkers, and particularly young and developing children. Chlorpyrifos is a highly toxic brain-harming insecticide being used in high volumes in Hawai`i on GMO research fields. (Learn more)

In 2016, 10 Syngenta field workers were hospitalized after exposure to chlorpyrifos. The EPA is currently suing Syngenta for worker safety violations related to the field worker’s exposure to chlorpyrifos, and was considering banning use of Chlorpyrifos on food crops prior to the Trump administration.

At least 27 schools in Hawai`i are located within one mile of these research fields and their pesticide drift. Chlorpyrifos and other brain-harming pesticides were found in air samples of Waimea Canyon Middle School, in the hair samples of local children and in water samples of the Kekaha ditch (both near GMO test field sites on Kaua`i). 

What will this bill do?
HB 1756 will place a statewide ban on the use of chlorpyrifos, a highly toxic insecticide. Read more about HB1756.
 

CLICK HERE: Add your name and submit testimony in support of HB1756 

 


3. Support HB 2722: Ban on pollinator-harming "neonics" and glyphosate on public land owned or maintained by the State.


Why is this important?
Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides, which scientists have linked to the rapid decline of honeybees and other pollinators. Pollinators are critical to nearly 70% of crops in Hawaiʻi. 

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a division of the World Health Organization, and the worldʻs leading authority on cancer, unanimously concluded that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen.

There's also a growing body of evidence on health impacts associated with exposure to glyphosate or RoundUp, such as endocrine disruption, organ damage and birth defects.

Glyphosate has also resulted in the rapid development of herbicide-tolerant superweeds, which tells us that herbicides as a solution don't work in the long term, and may even end up negatively impacting agricultural productivity.

What will this bill do?
If passed, HB2722 will place a statewide ban on the use of on pollinator harming neonicotinoids, and glyphosate on public land owned or maintained by the State. The bill will also enable Counties to pass similar measures. Read more about HB 2722.
 

CLICK HERE: Add your name and submit testimony in support of HB 2722 now 


Thank you for taking action. 

Together, we can protect our communities and Hawai‘i's precious land and waters.

The Protect Our Keiki Coalition

Bills, Bills, Bills

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The 29th legislative session is in full swing! With help from our members, partners, and Capitol Watch team captains, we’ve been busy tracking a number of bills that we've identified as priority bills. Please add these to your trackers and flag as bills that either a) have "legs" (i.e., have a decent chance to pass first lateral) and/or b) are well-written with the greatest positive environmental impact.

Please note: after first lateral (February 16th), many bills will die. It is important we make every attempt to get these priority bills through the committees they have been referred to! Please contact Committee Chairs ASAP and request your priority bills get heard!

HOW can you help?

There are many ways you can help usher these priority bills through the legislature:

WHAT bills are priority?

Sea Level Rise: HB 2468, HB 2469, HB 2106, SB 2442, SB 694, SB 2334, SB 3068, SB 3063, SB 2327, SB 2017

Cesspools: HB 2268, HB 2626, HB 2732/SB 2642, HB 1722/SB 2717, SB 2567, SB 2117

Clean Energy: HB 1801, HB 1864, HB 2057, HB 2109, HB 2460, HB 2431, SB 2933, SB 2956, SB 2939, HB 2724, HB 2719, SB 2910/HB 2249, HB 2110, HB 1830

LNG/Fracking: HB 1836, HB 1837, HB 1838, HB 1839

Carbon: HB 1986, HB 1991, HB 2182, HB 795, SB 1088, SB 105

Oxybenzone Ban: HB 2264, HB 2723, HB 1391, SB 2571, SB 2409

Polystyrene/Plastic: HB 1937/SB2498, HB 2625/SB 2964, HB 371, HB 2107, SB 2285, SB 2127, HB 2718

Waste/Recycling: HB 1806, HB 1800, HB 2726/SB 3099, HB 184, HB 2025, HB 2095, SB 2110, SB 2120

Native/Invasive Species: HB 904/SB 636, SB 2399, HB 2301/SB 2728

Pesticides: HB 2721, HB 2722, HB 2495/SB 2837, HB 1756/SB 2456, SB 2469, SB 3095, SB 2126

Agriculture/Land Use: SB 2575, SB 2524, SB 2572, SB 2561/HB 2101

Trails: HB 479, SB 2331

Watersheds: HB 2595, HB 2543, HB 1977

Freshwater: HB 1987, SB 2930/HB2712, HB 2592

Sustainable Development Goals: SB 2667, SB 2668, SB 2673, SB 2674, SB 2675, SB 2676

DLNR Funding: SB 2446

General Environment: HB 1708, HB 2026, HB 2470

*Slash indicates companion bills.