HR 182: DECLARING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND REQUESTING STATEWIDE COORDINATION TO IDENTIFY, PLAN FOR, AND CREATE CROSS-SECTOR SOLUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN HAWAII'S PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS.

HOUSE RESOLUTION

DECLARING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND REQUESTING STATEWIDE COORDINATION TO IDENTIFY, PLAN FOR, AND CREATE CROSS-SECTOR SOLUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN HAWAII'S PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS.

     WHEREAS, humanity's runaway greenhouse gas emissions have contributed to accelerated climate change, characterized by rising global temperatures, sea level rise, ecological collapse, and the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events; and

     WHEREAS, as stated in House Concurrent Resolution No. 192 (2023), scientific consensus indicates public health will be impacted because climate change will increase the incidence of increased heat, vector-borne diseases, crop failure and food insecurity, water insecurity, waterborne diseases, extreme weather events, air pollution, and adverse mental health impacts due to these climate stressors and collective eco-grief, which refers to the deep sense of loss and overwhelming emotional response felt when learning about and experiencing the catastrophic destruction of the environment due to climate change; and

     WHEREAS, climate change adversely impacts the social determinants of health, which include food security, economic stability, strong social and community support networks, healthy environments, and access to quality health care and emergency services; and

     WHEREAS, as an island state, Hawaii remains particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, thereby endangering the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, warranting preemptive and protective action; and

     WHEREAS, climate change and its associated health impacts are not limited to the purview of the Department of Health, but transcend traditionally siloed approaches to state administration and impact all departments, including those that oversee land, water, agriculture, transportation, and emergency services; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii established itself as a national leader in adapting to the climate crisis by becoming the first state in the United States to declare a climate emergency through Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 44 (2021), which recognized that climate change threatens the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 44 (2021) called for statewide commitment and mobilization of resources to ensure a just transition to a decarbonized economy and facilitation of investments in beneficial projects and infrastructure, but did not declare a public health emergency nor call for the mobilization of resources necessary to adapt and to protect human health in Hawaii from the severe threat of climate change; and

     WHEREAS, leading scientific and medical authorities, including the United Nations, World Health Organization, and American Public Health Association, have identified climate change as a major public health crisis; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that this body acknowledges that climate change poses a dire threat to public health, declares a public health emergency in the State, and requests entities statewide to actively examine how the climate considerations within their departments impact human health and coordinate with other departments to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen Hawaii's public health response to the climate crisis; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Attorney General; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Director of Health; Director of Transportation; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; and mayors of the City and County of Honolulu and counties of Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii.

Report Title: 

Climate Change; Public Health Emergency

HOUSE RESOLUTION

Declaring a public health emergency relating to climate change and requesting statewide coordination to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen hawaii's public health response to the climate crisis.

     WHEREAS, humanity's runaway greenhouse gas emissions have contributed to accelerated climate change, characterized by rising global temperatures, sea level rise, ecological collapse, and the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events; and

     WHEREAS, as stated in House Resolution No. 192 (2023), scientific consensus indicates public health will be impacted because climate change will increase the incidence of increased heat, vector-borne diseases, crop failure and food insecurity, water insecurity, waterborne diseases, extreme weather events, air pollution, and adverse mental health impacts due to these climate stressors and collective eco-grief, which refers to the deep sense of loss and overwhelming emotional response felt when learning about and experiencing the catastrophic destruction of the environment due to climate change; and

     WHEREAS, climate change adversely impacts the social determinants of health, which include food security, economic stability, strong social and community support networks, healthy environments, and access to quality health care and emergency services; and

     WHEREAS, as an island state, Hawaii remains particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, thereby endangering the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, warranting preemptive and protective action; and

     WHEREAS, climate change and health impacts are not limited to the responses of Department of Health, but transcend traditionally siloed approaches to state administration and impact all departments including those that oversee land, water, agriculture, transportation, and emergency services; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii established itself as a national leader in adapting to the climate crisis by becoming the first state in the United States to declare a climate emergency through Senate Resolution No. 44 (2021), which recognized that climate change threatens the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, Senate Resolution No. 44 (2021) called for statewide commitment and mobilization of resources to a just transition to a decarbonized economy and facilitation of investments in beneficial projects and infrastructure, but did not declare a public health emergency nor call for the mobilization of resources necessary to adapt and protect human health in Hawaii from the severe threat of climate change; and

     WHEREAS, leading scientific and medical authorities, including the United Nations, World Health Organization, and American Public Health Association, have identified climate change as a major public health crisis; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that this body acknowledges that climate change poses a dire threat to public health, declares a public health emergency in the State, and requests entities statewide to actively examine how the climate considerations within their departments impact human health and coordinate with other departments to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen Hawaii's public health response to the climate crisis; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Attorney General; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Director of Health; Director of Transportation; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; and mayors of the City and County of Honolulu and counties of Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii.

Report Title: 

Climate Change; Public Health Emergency

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1879

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

RE:   H.R. No. 182

      H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.R. No. 182 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION DECLARING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND REQUESTING STATEWIDE COORDINATION TO IDENTIFY, PLAN FOR, AND CREATE CROSS-SECTOR SOLUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN HAWAII'S PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to declare a public health emergency relating to climate change and requesting statewide coordination to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen Hawaii's public health response to climate crisis.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Life of the Land; Health Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i Public Health Association; Coalition Earth; 350Hawaii.org; Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; Hawaii Climate Change and Health Working Group; and numerous individuals.   

     Your Committee finds that the effects of climate change, such as increased heat, crop failures, food and water insecurity, extreme weather events, vector-borne and waterborne diseases, seriously impact public health and constitute a public health emergency.  Your Committee further finds that addressing the impacts of climate change on public health will require a multi-disciplinary approach and statewide coordination, commitment, and mobilization of resources between departments.  This measure acknowledges the severity of the impacts climate change has on the health of Hawaii's people and calls on the various state departments to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen the State's public health response to the climate crisis.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 182, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 182, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1599

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

RE:   H.R. No. 182

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.R. No. 182 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION DECLARING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND REQUESTING STATEWIDE COORDINATION TO IDENTIFY, PLAN FOR, AND CREATE CROSS-SECTOR SOLUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN HAWAII'S PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to declare a public health emergency relating to climate change and request statewide coordination to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen Hawaii's public health response to the climate crisis.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Climate Change and Health Working Group; Greenpeace Hawaii; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Coalition Earth; 350Hawaii.org; and six individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the climate crisis is one of the greatest threats to human health worldwide.  Your Committee further finds that climate change has led to an increase in heat-related illnesses, respiratory health issues associated with the increase in wildfires, and other serious health and mental health related issues.  This measure acknowledges the severity of the impact of the climate crisis on public health and initiates a collaborative statewide approach to support the public health response to climate change.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 182 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Health.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,