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HB1771
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
1771
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO CARBON OFFSETS
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION 1.
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The
legislature finds that climate change is the most pressing issue of our
time.
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There are many contributors to
climate change, and transportation-generated greenhouse gas emissions are a significant
source.
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The legislature acknowledges
that air travel faces particularly difficult technical challenges in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions.
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Since air travel is
essential to tourism, the legislature notes that air travel and its associated
emissions will remain key elements of the State's intertwined economy and
climate for the foreseeable future.
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In
the past few years, the United Nations has established an extensive framework
for the provision of carbon offsets for greenhouse gas emissions resulting from
international air travel, known as the carbon offsetting and reduction scheme
for international aviation (CORSIA).
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However, the Federal Aviation Administration's CORSIA program does not
apply to air travel to the State from the continental United States.
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F
or
essential activities including air travel, which remain intractably resistant to
the latest technological solutions to greenhouse gas emission reductions, the
legislature further finds that the use of carbon offsets to compensate for
those emissions is a strategic necessity for achieving the zero emissions clean
economy target set for the State by Act 15, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018.
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The
legislature anticipates that many air travelers will take advantage of a
program where they 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.
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The
legislature additionally finds that the ease of purchasing offsets may have the
effect of enhancing the desirability of travel to the State.
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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require
the department of transportation to facilitate the voluntary purchase of
verified carbon offsets by any person traveling by air to or from an airport in
the State to compensate for greenhouse gas emissions from air travel.
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SECTION 2.
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Chapter 261, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section
to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
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�261-
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Air travel carbon offset purchase.
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(a)
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Pursuant to its authority under section 261-4, the department shall
facilitate the voluntary purchase of verified carbon offsets by any person
engaging in qualified air travel to or from an airport in the State.
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To effectuate this purpose, the department:
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(1)
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Shall accept a request from any
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 greenhouse gas emissions associated
with the person's qualified air travel;
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(2)
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Shall use reasonable efforts to
facilitate the requestor's connection with a provider of verified carbon offsets
for greenhouse gas emissions from air travel from whom the requestor may
purchase a carbon offset for the requestor's trip;
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(3)
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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 an interactive capability by
which an air traveler may arrange for the online purchase of a verified carbon
offset;
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(4)
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Shall encourage airlines using any airport
in the State to provide links on every airline's respective website to the
department's webpage concerning carbon offsets for air travel;
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(5)
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Shall maintain a list of public and
private entities that provide verified carbon offsets for passenger air travel;
and
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(6)
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May contract with other entities to
conduct one or more of the duties described in paragraphs (1) through (5).
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(b)
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As used in this section:
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"Carbon
offset" means the reduction or removal of a greenhouse gas emission into the
atmosphere, or the prevention of future greenhouse gas emissions, that is
achieved by or on behalf of a person to equivalently compensate for greenhouse
gas emissions resulting from air travel by the person to or from an airport in
the State.
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"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.
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"Verified"
means, with respect to a carbon offset, the carbon offset has been validated by
an independent third party as real, permanent, and unlikely to occur in the
absence of an offset program.
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SECTION 3.
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New statutory material is underscored.
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SECTION 4.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
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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 greenhouse gas 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.