Bill Text: HI SB1054 | 2019 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii Senate Bill 1054 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Relating To Planning.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-03-14 - The committee(s) on EEP/WLH recommend(s) that the measure be deferred. [SB1054 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2019-SB1054-Amended.html

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1054
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO PLANNING.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that disaster recovery efforts need to be carried out quickly and efficiently to ensure that damaged infrastructure and interrupted services are restored as soon as possible. Prudent pre-disaster planning, as well as post-disaster responses that seek to make the State less vulnerable regarding future disasters, can expedite responses that anticipate future needs. For example, if a road is destroyed by an ocean wave surge caused by a hurricane, it may be best to build the replacement road further inland, where it is less vulnerable. These types of scenarios should be evaluated before an actual disaster occurs.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require:

(1) The State and counties to incorporate predictions of sea level rise and other climate change hazards and mitigation opportunities into applicable plans, strategies, and mapping, in order to increase the State's resiliency and ability to properly respond to natural disasters; and

(2) The public utilities commission, and any public utility regulated by the public utilities commission, to consider in its actions the findings in the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report by the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission and seek to avoid critical infrastructure projects in areas of higher risk, in order to reduce risks to taxpayers and the general public.

SECTION 2. Chapter 226, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§226- Climate change hazards and mitigation planning; required. The State and each county shall incorporate evaluations, predictions, and recommendations pertaining to climate change hazards and mitigation into their respective multi-hazard mitigation plans. Those plans, at a minimum, shall incorporate findings of the "Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report" prepared by the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission."

SECTION 3. Chapter 269, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§269- Sea level rise vulnerability; infrastructure sites. (a) Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter to the contrary, the public utilities commission shall:

(1) Consider in its actions the findings in the "Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report"; and

(2) Seek to avoid critical infrastructure projects in areas of higher risk to reduce risk to taxpayers and the general public.

(b) Any public utility regulated by the public utilities commission shall incorporate the findings of the "Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report" into the utility's capital investment planning processes in any relevant applications and regular reports that may be filed with the public utilities commission.

(c) As used in this section, "Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report" means the "Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report" prepared by the Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission."

SECTION 4. In devising pre-disaster planning and post-disaster recovery strategies, the State and each county shall develop and establish comprehensive frameworks, state functional plans, county general plans, and community development plans addressing sea level rise adaptation strategies.

SECTION 5. Each county is encouraged to participate in the community rating system developed by the National Flood Insurance Program.

SECTION 6. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

Report Title:

Disasters; Planning; Recovery; Climate Change; Sea Level Rise; Infrastructure Sites; Counties; PUC

Description:

Requires the State and counties to incorporate predictions of sea level rise and other climate change hazards and mitigation opportunities into applicable plans, strategies, and mapping. Requires the Public Utilities Commission, and any public utility regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, to consider the findings in the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report. Encourages each county to participate in the community rating system developed by the National Flood Insurance Program. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.