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Committee approves one-year cesspool-closure subsidy pilot with technical changes
Summary
Lawmakers passed amendments to House Bill 1404 to limit its appropriation to a single fiscal year and to remove the second-year funding line, while keeping the pilot to subsidize residential sewer connections where feasible.
The House Water & Land Committee approved House Bill 1404 with amendments that convert a two-year appropriation into a single-year subsidy for residential sewer connections and cesspool closures, and blanked specific dollar amounts to be recorded in the committee report.
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands testified in support and the Department of Health and the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition provided testimony urging the committee to encourage connections where technically feasible. Ted Bolen of the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition told members the bill would “encourage counties to look for and plan more sewer infrastructure” by offering homeowner subsidies. He said sewer treatment “treats wastewater to a higher standard than most individual wastewater systems” and that the measure would be cost-effective for homeowners and the environment.
Members asked whether state funding in the bill would impose liens on homeowners who receive subsidies; the Department of Health staff said they did not know the mechanics of county reimbursement and could not answer whether a lien mechanism would be required. One member voted no on policy grounds, saying the senator preferred county-level funding and taxation options. Committee chairs adopted amendments to make the appropriation a single fiscal year and to blank dollar amounts (the amounts will be noted in the committee report); they also deferred the effective date to 07/01/3000 for drafting consistency.
Why it matters: The state has long worked to reduce cesspools because of threats to nearshore water quality. This bill creates a pilot approach intended to lower the homeowner cost barrier where sewer connections are feasible, while leaving county responsibilities for mainline construction unchanged.
What’s next: The committee adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass HB1404 with amendments; staff will reflect single-year appropriations and dollar figures in the committee report.
