RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

Energy

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: MATAYOSHI, CHUN
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not provide details on what happens after June 30, 2027.

Rules for Waste-to-Energy Facilities

This bill requires owners and operators of waste-to-energy facilities in Hawaii to follow specific EPA emission standards as they existed on December 31, 2024.

What This Bill Does

Requires owners and operators of waste-to-energy facilities to comply with certain United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations for emission limitations as they existed on December 31, 2024.

Who It Names or Affects

Owners and operators of waste-to-energy facilities in Hawaii.

Terms To Know

Emission limitations: Rules that limit how much pollution a facility can release into the air.
Waste-to-energy facility: A plant that burns waste to produce energy, like electricity or heat.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill will end on June 30, 2027.
It does not specify what happens after the sunset date.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires owners and operators of waste-to-energy facilities to follow specific U.S. EPA emission regulations as they were on December 31, 2024, unless the regulations become stricter.

Owners or operators of waste-to-energy facilities must comply with certain U.S. EPA regulations for emissions that existed on December 31, 2024.
The amendment specifies five subparts of the Code of Federal Regulations that apply to different types of municipal waste combustors and their construction dates.

The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect or a placeholder and may need clarification.
It is unclear why there is a sunset clause on June 30, 2027, which appears to conflict with the stated purpose of preventing backsliding on emission limits.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment requires owners and operators of waste-to-energy facilities to follow specific EPA emission regulations as they were on December 31, 2024, unless stricter limits are set by federal rules or state permits.

Owners and operators of waste-to-energy facilities must comply with certain EPA regulations for emissions that existed on December 31, 2024.
The amendment specifies five subparts of the Code of Federal Regulations that apply to these facilities.

The effective date is set far in the future (July 1, 3000), which seems unusual and might be a typo or placeholder.
It's unclear why the sunset clause is set for June 30, 2027.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment requires owners and operators of waste-to-energy facilities to follow specific EPA emission regulations as they existed on December 31, 2024, unless stricter limits are set by federal rules or state permits.

Owners and operators of waste-to-energy facilities must comply with certain EPA regulations for emissions that were in place on December 31, 2024.
The amendment specifies five subparts of the Code of Federal Regulations that contain these emission limitations.

The act will not take effect until December 31, 2050, and it is set to be repealed on June 30, 2027.
It's unclear why the effective date is so far in the future.

Bill History

2026-04-02 S
Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
2026-04-01 H
House Conferee(s) discharged.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-04-15 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 732).
2025-04-14 H
House Conferees Appointed: Lowen, Matayoshi Co-Chairs; Kapela, Perruso, Pierick.
2025-04-11 S
Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 704).
2025-04-10 H
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
2025-04-08 H
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 610) in amended form (SD 1).
2025-04-08 S
Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 23; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 2 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2025-04-04 S
One Day Notice 04-08-25.
2025-04-04 S
Reported from CPN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1723) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading.
2025-04-01 S
The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in CPN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, McKelvey, Richards; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) Awa; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-03-28 S
The committee on CPN has added the measure to decision making scheduled on 04-01-25 10:07AM; CR 229 & Videoconference.
2025-03-19 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to CPN.
2025-03-19 S
Reported from HHS/AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1162) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to CPN.
2025-03-12 S
The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, DeCoite, Rhoads; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) Awa; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-03-12 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Hashimoto, Keohokalole, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-03-07 S
The committee(s) on HHS/AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-12-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to HHS/AEN, CPN.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 203).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia voting no (1) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-04-25.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1050) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-20 H
The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Chun, Ichiyama, Kong, Marten, Tam; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Ilagan, Lowen, Pierick.
2025-02-19 H
Bill scheduled for decision making on Thursday, 02-20-25 2:00PM in conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-19 H
The committee(s) on CPC recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-20-25 2:00PM.
2025-02-14 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Wednesday, 02-19-25 2:00PM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-14 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-14 H
Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 766) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.
2025-02-13 H
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Kahaloa, Kusch; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Quinlan, Ward.
2025-02-07 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Thursday, 02-13-25 10:15AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to EEP, CPC, referral sheet 1
2025-01-17 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-16 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
Waste-to-energy Facility; Emissions; Standards; Air Pollution Control Permit
Requires an owner or operator of a waste-to-energy facility to comply with certain United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations for emission limitations as they existed on 12/31/2024, unless emission limitations are made more stringent by federal regulations or by the state air pollution control permit issued to that owner or operator by the Department of Health. Sunsets 6/30/2027. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB256

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

256

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to environmental protection
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that the State
is committed to maintaining the stringent environmental standards that govern
the operations of waste-to-energy facilities and committed to preventing any
backsliding on existing emission limits that may be proposed by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency.

����
Therefore,
to protect against any weakening of applicable emission limits by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency, the purpose of this Act is to require
an owner or operator of a waste-to-energy facility to comply with certain
United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations as they existed on
December 31, 2024.

����
SECTION
2.
�
An owner or operator of a
waste-to-energy facility shall comply with the emission limitations of the
following subparts of title 40 Code of Federal Regulations part 60 entitled
"Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources", as those
subparts existed on December 31, 2024, which are hereby incorporated by
reference:

����
(1)
�
Subpart A, "General Provisions";

����
(2)
�
Subpart Cb, "Emissions Guidelines and
Compliance Times for Large Municipal Waste Combustors That are Constructed on
or Before September 20, 1994";

����
(3)
�
Subpart Ea, "Standards of Performance for
Municipal Waste Combustors for Which Construction Is Commenced After December
20, 1989 and On or Before September 20, 1994";

����
(4)
�
Subpart Eb, "Standards of Performance for
Large Municipal Waste Combustors for Which Construction is Commenced After
September 20, 1994 or for Which Modification or Reconstruction is Commenced
After June 19, 1996"; and

����
(5)
�
Subpart AAAA, "Standards of Performance
for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced
After August 30, 1999 or for Which Modification or Reconstruction is Commenced
After June 6, 2001".

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval
and shall be repealed on June 30, 2027.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Waste-to-energy
Facility; Emissions; Standards

Description:

Requires
an owner or operator of a waste-to-energy facility to comply with certain
United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations as they existed on
December 31, 2024.
�
Sunsets 6/30/2027.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.