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House committee advances package of environmental resolutions, defers dust‑monitoring bill
Summary
The Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection met April 17, 2026, deferred SCR 142 on dust monitoring, accepted amendments to two resolutions and passed the remainder by voice vote; one member (Rep. Quinlan) was recorded as excused for the session.
The Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection convened April 17, 2026, in Conference Room 325 and on Zoom to consider a package of resolutions on environmental and energy issues. Chair Loewen recommended deferring SCR 142 SD1 on establishing dust‑monitoring stations in and around Waimanalo Gulch, citing testimony that an existing regulatory framework already covers the issue.
The committee moved quickly through the agenda and took recorded voice votes on several measures. The committee passed a mattress stewardship resolution (SCR 39 SD1), a request urging counties to ban disposable body boards (SCR 40), a resolution asking the City and County of Honolulu to consider a lithium‑ion battery discard facility (SCR 83), and a resolution requesting a PUC report on the electric reliability administrator (SCR 96). The committee accepted Office of Planning and Sustainable Development amendments to SCR 168 to make the demolition‑waste reduction working group a two‑year, finite body with annual reports due 20 days before session, and accepted Earthjustice’s friendly amendments to SCR 172 before passage.
"My recommendation is to defer this measure because, as testimony pointed out, there is already an existing regulatory framework," Chair Loewen said when moving to defer SCR 142.
Votes at a glance
• SCR 39 SD1 (mattress stewardship): Recommendation to pass unamended adopted. Recorded votes: Chair Loewen — aye; Vice Chair Peruso — aye; Rep. Chun — aye; Rep. Kahaloha — aye; Rep. Kush — aye; Rep. Matsumoto — aye; Rep. Quinlan — excused.
• SCR 40 (ban on disposable body boards): Recommendation to pass unamended adopted. Recorded votes: Chair Loewen — aye; Vice Chair Peruso — aye; Rep. Chun — aye; Rep. Kahaloha — aye; Rep. Kush — aye; Rep. Matsumoto — aye; Rep. Quinlan — excused.
• SCR 83 (lithium‑ion battery discard facility): Recommendation to pass unamended adopted. Recorded votes: Chair Loewen — aye; Vice Chair Peruso — aye; Rep. Chun — aye; Rep. Kahaloha — aye; Rep. Kush — aye; Rep. Matsumoto — aye; Rep. Quinlan — excused.
• SCR 168 SD1 (demolition waste reduction working group): Chair accepted OPSD amendments to define the working group's constitution and set a two‑year limit with annual reporting; recommendation to pass with amendments adopted. Recorded votes: Chair Loewen — aye; Vice Chair Peruso — aye; Rep. Chun — aye; Rep. Kahaloha — aye; Rep. Kush — aye; Rep. Matsumoto — aye; Rep. Quinlan — excused.
• SCR 96 SD1 (PUC report on electric reliability administrator): Recommendation to pass unamended adopted. Recorded votes: Chair Loewen — aye; Vice Chair Peruso — aye; Rep. Chun — aye; Rep. Kahaloha — aye; Rep. Kush — aye; Rep. Matsumoto — aye; Rep. Quinlan — excused.
• SCR 166 SD1 (generational energy commitment): Recommendation to pass unamended adopted. Recorded votes: Chair Loewen — aye; Vice Chair Peruso — aye; Rep. Chun — aye; Rep. Kahaloha — aye; Rep. Kush — aye; Rep. Matsumoto — aye; Rep. Quinlan — excused.
• SCR 172 SD1 (PUC comprehensive analysis): Chair Loewen accepted Earthjustice’s requested amendments; recommendation to pass with amendments adopted. Recorded votes: Chair Loewen — aye; Vice Chair Peruso — aye; Rep. Chun — aye; Rep. Kahaloha — aye; Rep. Kush — aye; Rep. Matsumoto — aye; Rep. Quinlan — excused.
What the actions mean
Most measures were advanced out of committee without substantive floor amendments during this hearing. SCR 142 was deferred on the chair’s recommendation after testimony indicated overlapping regulatory authorities; SCR 168 and SCR 172 were amended as requested by agencies and stakeholders to clarify working‑group structure and the scope of analysis, respectively. The committee adjourned after the votes.
