SCR 54 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO CONVENE AND PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE TO A DESALINATION PLANNING TASK FORCE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE USE OF DESALINATION FOR LARGE-SCALE WATER CONSUMPTION IN THE STATE IS FEASIBLE.

SCR 54 is a resolution requesting Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources to convene a Desalination Planning Task Force to study whether desalination (converting seawater to fresh water) could feasibly meet the state's large-scale water needs. The task force, composed of state and county water officials, health representatives, and cultural advisors, will assess water demand, environmental impacts of desalination plants, cultural site protections, and how it might support water resilience after events like the Red Hill contamination. It must report findings and recommendations to the legislature by 2026, including potential policy changes. This resolution does not enact new law but directs a study to inform future water management decisions.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Governor

Introduced Mar 7, 2025 Last action Apr 25, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

SCR54_HD1 → SCR54_SD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill was converted from a House bill (SCR54 HD1) to a Senate bill (SCR54 SD1) with significant formatting changes and one critical policy modification. The most important substantive change is the revision of the Task Force's dissolution date from June 30, 2027 to June 30, 2026, and the report deadline was similarly moved from 2027 to 2026. The bill also updated the recipient list for certified copies to include the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, while removing the Department of Land and Natural Resources Chairperson. These changes affect the timeline for when the desalination planning task force must complete its work and submit recommendations.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on establishing a desalination planning task force, but the timeline for completion has been shortened by approximately one year.

TIMELINE

Task Force dissolution date changed from June 30, 2027 to June 30, 2026

Report submission deadline changed from twenty days before the 2027 Regular Session to twenty days before the 2026 Regular Session

REQUIREMENT

Certified copies must now be transmitted to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives

Certified copies no longer need to be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources

TECHNICAL

Extensive formatting changes including conversion from House to Senate bill format, addition of metadata fields, and text encoding issues in some sections

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

Resolution adopted in final form.

upper

Apr 23, 2025

Introduced

Senate agrees with House Amendments. Placed on the calendar for Final Adoption on 04-24-25.

upper

Apr 23, 2025

Introduced

Reconsideration of action taken on 04-21-25; agree to House amendments.

upper

Apr 21, 2025

Amended

Senate disagrees with House amendments.

upper

Apr 21, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 774).

upper

Apr 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Adopted with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Amato, Belatti, Cochran, Garrett, Ichiyama, Perruso, Quinlan excused (7).

lower

Apr 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2133), recommending adoption.

lower

Apr 16, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Alcos, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Kitagawa.

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2087) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Ichiyama, Poepoe, Woodson.

lower

Apr 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to WAL, FIN, referral sheet 28

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 452) in amended form (SD 1).

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1). Transmitted to House.

upper

Apr 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from WTL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1428) with recommendation of adoption, as amended (SD 1).

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WTL were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Elefante, Chang, McKelvey, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL has scheduled a public hearing on 03-17-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 11, 2025

Committee

Referred to WTL.

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Introduced

Offered.

upper

10 primary · 2 co-sponsors