SB 52: RELATING TO CARBON OFFSETS.
- Session Year: 2025-2026
- House: Senate
- Latest Version Date: 2025-02-10
Current Status:
Failed
(2025-12-08: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.)
Introduced
In Committee
First Chamber
In Committee
Second Chamber
Final Decking
Enacted
Requires the Department of Transportation to assist and enable a person to voluntarily purchase a verified carbon offset for carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the person's air travel to or from an airport in the State. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
Requires the Department of Transportation to assist and enable a person to voluntarily purchase a verified carbon offset for carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the person's air travel to or from an airport in the State.
|
THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
52 |
|
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
S.D. 1 |
|
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO CARBON OFFSETS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
In the past few years, the United Nations has established an extensive framework for the provision of carbon offsets for carbon emissions resulting from international air travel, known as the carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation (CORSIA). However, the Federal Aviation Administration's CORSIA program does not apply to air travel to Hawaii from the continental United States.
The legislature further finds that, for essential activities including air travel, which are intractably resistant, at least in the near term, to technological solutions to carbon emission reductions, the use of carbon offsets to compensate for those emissions is a strategic necessity for achieving the zero-emission clean economy target set for the State by Act 15, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018.
The legislature anticipates that many travelers will take advantage of a program where air travelers may voluntarily purchase carbon offsets from providers of the offsets, given the increasing awareness by air travelers of the climate change implications of their travel. The legislature additionally finds that the ease of purchasing offsets may have the effect of enhancing the desirability of travel to the State.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require the department of transportation to facilitate the voluntary purchase of verified carbon offsets by persons traveling by air to or from airports in the State to compensate for carbon dioxide emissions from air travel.
SECTION 2. Chapter 261, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§261- Air travel carbon offset purchase. (a) Pursuant to its authority under section 261-4, the department shall facilitate the voluntary purchase of verified carbon offsets by persons engaging in qualified air travel to or from an airport in the State. To effectuate this purpose, the department:
(1) Shall accept requests from each person who will be engaging in, or has recently engaged in, qualified air travel to or from an airport in the State for assistance in voluntarily purchasing a verified carbon offset for the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the person's qualified air travel;
(2) Shall use reasonable best efforts to facilitate the requestor's connection with a provider of verified carbon offsets for carbon dioxide emissions from air travel from whom the requestor may purchase a carbon offset for the requestor's trip;
(3) Shall place information on the department's website describing the process established by the department to assist air travelers with purchasing verified carbon offsets for their air travel from providers of the offsets, including interactive capability by which air travelers may arrange for the online purchase of verified carbon offsets;
(4) Shall encourage airlines using airports in the State to provide links on every airline's respective website to the department's webpage concerning carbon offsets for air travel;
(5) Shall maintain a list of public and private entities that provide verified carbon offsets for passenger air travel; and
(6) May contract with other entities to conduct one or more of the duties described in paragraphs (1) through (5).
(b) For the purposes of this section:
"Carbon offset" means a reduction in carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases in, or emitted into, the atmosphere that is achieved by or on behalf of a person to compensate, in a carbon dioxide-equivalent amount, for the emissions of carbon dioxide resulting from air travel by the person to or from an airport in the State. "Carbon offset" includes an action that removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or that reduces future greenhouse gas emissions.
"Qualified air travel" means any air travel regulated under this chapter that occurs between an airport in the State and any other airport in the State, another state, or United States territory.
"Verified" means, with respect to a carbon offset, a reduction in carbon dioxide, or carbon dioxide-equivalent amount of other greenhouse gases, that is determined through a process of validation and verification by an independent third party to be real, permanent, and unlikely to occur in the absence of an offset program."
SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.
Report Title:
DOT; Air Travel; Verified Carbon Offsets; Qualified Air Travel
Description:
Requires the Department of Transportation to assist and enable a person to voluntarily purchase a verified carbon offset for carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the person's air travel to or from an airport in the State. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
|
THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
52 |
|
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
|
|
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to Carbon offsets.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
In the past few years, the United Nations has established an extensive framework for the provision of carbon offsets for carbon emissions resulting from international air travel, known as the carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation (CORSIA). However, the Federal Aviation Administration's CORSIA program does not apply to air travel to Hawai‘i from the continental United States.
The legislature further finds that, for essential activities including air travel, which are intractably resistant, at least in the near term, to technological solutions to carbon emission reductions, the use of carbon offsets to compensate for those emissions is a strategic necessity for achieving the zero-emission clean economy target set for the State by Act 15, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018.
The legislature anticipates that many travelers will take advantage of a program where air travelers may voluntarily purchase carbon offsets from providers of the offsets, given the increasing awareness by air travelers of the climate change implications of their travel. The legislature additionally finds that the ease of purchasing offsets may have the effect of enhancing the desirability of travel to Hawai‘i.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require the department of transportation to facilitate the voluntary purchase of verified carbon offsets by persons traveling by air to or from airports in Hawaiʻi to compensate for carbon dioxide emissions from air travel.
SECTION 2. Chapter 261, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§261- Air travel carbon offset purchase. (a) Pursuant to its authority under section 261-4, the department shall facilitate the voluntary purchase of verified carbon offsets by persons engaging in qualified air travel to or from an airport in the State. To effectuate this purpose, the department:
(1) Shall accept requests from each person who will be engaging in, or has recently engaged in, qualified air travel to or from an airport in the State for assistance in voluntarily purchasing a verified carbon offset for the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the person's qualified air travel;
(2) Shall use reasonable best efforts to facilitate the requestor's connection with a provider of verified carbon offsets for carbon dioxide emissions from air travel from whom the requestor may purchase a carbon offset for the requestor's trip;
(3) Shall place information on the department's website describing the process established by the department to assist air travelers with purchasing verified carbon offsets for their air travel from providers of the offsets, including interactive capability by which air travelers may arrange for the online purchase of verified carbon offsets;
(4) Shall encourage airlines using airports in the State to provide links on the airlines' respective websites to the department's webpage concerning carbon offsets for air travel;
(5) Shall maintain a list of public and private entities that provide verified carbon offsets for passenger air travel; and
(6) May contract with other entities to conduct one or more of the duties described in paragraphs (1) through (5).
(b) For the purposes of this section:
"Carbon offset" means a reduction in carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases in, or emitted into, the atmosphere that is achieved by or on behalf of a person to compensate, in a carbon dioxide-equivalent amount, for the emissions of carbon dioxide resulting from air travel by the person to or from an airport in the State. "Carbon offset" includes an action that removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or that reduces future greenhouse gas emissions.
"Qualified air travel" means any air travel regulated under this chapter that occurs between an airport in the State and any other airport in the State, another state, or United States territory.
"Verified" means, with respect to a carbon offset, a reduction in carbon dioxide, or carbon dioxide-equivalent amount of other greenhouse gases, that is determined through a process of validation and verification by an independent third party to be real, permanent, and unlikely to occur in the absence of an offset program."
SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
|
INTRODUCED BY: |
_____________________________ |
|
|
|
Report Title:
DOT; Air Travel; Verified Carbon Offsets; Qualified Air Travel
Description:
Requires the Department of Transportation to assist and enable a person to voluntarily purchase a verified carbon offset for carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the person's air travel to or from an airport in the State.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
|
Date
|
Status
|
|---|---|
| Dec 8, 2025 | Carried over to 2026 Regular Session. |
| Feb 11, 2025 | Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. |
| Feb 11, 2025 | Reported from TCA/AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 236) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM. |
| Feb 5, 2025 | The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, Rhoads; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 2 No(es): Senator(s) DeCoite, Awa; and 0 Excused: none. |
| Feb 5, 2025 | The committee(s) on TCA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TCA were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Elefante, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 2 No(es): Senator(s) Inouye, DeCorte; and 0 Excused: none. |
| Jan 31, 2025 | The committee(s) on TCA/AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-05-25 1:01PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference. |
| Jan 16, 2025 | Referred to TCA/AEN, WAM. |
| Jan 15, 2025 | Introduced and passed First Reading. |
| Jan 8, 2025 | Pending Introduction. |
|
Date
|
Description
|
Location
|
Votes
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2025 | The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS | Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Environment |
Passed |
|
| Feb 5, 2025 | The committee(s) on TCA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS | Senate Standing Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts |
Passed |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
|
Organization
|
Position
|
Date
|
|---|---|---|
| 350Hawaii.org | ** Against |
STAND. COM. REP. NO. 236
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 52
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 52 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CARBON OFFSETS,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Transportation to assist and enable a person to voluntarily purchase a verified carbon offset for carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the person's air travel to or from an airport in the State.
Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from 350Hawaii.org and one individual.
Your Committees find that while there are many contributors to climate change, transportation-generated greenhouse gas emissions are a significant source. As the State has a thriving tourism economy, it is essential to discover and implement ways to offset the carbon emissions from air travel. Your Committees further find that many travelers may take advantage of a program where air travelers may voluntarily purchase carbon offsets from providers of the offsets, given the increasing awareness by air travelers of the climate change implications of their travel. Therefore, by creating an easy step for travelers to voluntarily purchase a carbon offset for their air travel, this measure will facilitate a pathway towards greener energy.
Your Committees have amended this measure by:
(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 52, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 52, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Agriculture and Environment,
|
________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair |
|
________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair |
|
|
|
|
Discussed in Hearing
48SEC
Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Environment
48SEC
Senate Standing Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts
48SEC
Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs
Bill Author
Bill Co-Author(s):
