Hawaii 2023 Regular Session

Hawaii Senate Bill SR17 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	THE SENATE S.R. NO. 17 THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023 STATE OF HAWAII SENATE RESOLUTION requesting the department of business, economic DEVELOPMENT, and tourism to promote the use of albizia in commercial products by establishing a grant program and conducting a study.
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3	3	THE SENATE S.R. NO. 17
4	4	THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
5	5	STATE OF HAWAII
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7	7	THE SENATE
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9	9	S.R. NO.
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13	13	THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
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17	17	STATE OF HAWAII
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29	29	SENATE RESOLUTION
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35	35	requesting the department of business, economic DEVELOPMENT, and tourism to promote the use of albizia in commercial products by establishing a grant program and conducting a study.
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41	41	WHEREAS, the albizia tree is an invasive species that can grow up to one hundred fifty feet tall; and WHEREAS, albizia trees can grow in nutrient-deficient soils, produce large quantities of wind-dispersed seeds, and grow at a very rapid rate, gaining up to fifteen feet in height each year; and WHEREAS, albizia trees can very quickly disrupt and replace native ecosystems and can easily take over a cleared area in just a few years; and WHEREAS, albizia trees have very brittle trunks and limbs that are structurally weak and prone to "sudden limb shear", a phenomenon in which live branches collapse without warning or apparent cause; and WHEREAS, branch collapses can occur even if a tree appears to be healthy; and WHEREAS, the phenomenon of "sudden limb shear", combined with the albizia tree's large size and fast growth, gives the tree the potential to cause major damage to property, infrastructure, and human life; and WHEREAS, as a result, state and county agencies and utility companies must constantly remove albizia trees; and WHEREAS, there are currently few beneficial uses for removed albizia trees; and WHEREAS, in 2018, a former University of Hawaii student led a team that successfully constructed a full-size prototype single-family home built from albizia wood, demonstrating that albizia could be used as a locally sourced building material; and WHEREAS, the team conducting the project indicated that there remained questions about whether the use of albizia wood for construction was economically feasible and whether builders could achieve economies of scale using the wood; and WHEREAS, if questions like these could be answered, the State could turn its overabundance of albizia trees into an economic opportunity; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to establish a grant program to assist persons who: (1) Use albizia trees to create usable commercial products; or (2) Are developing new ways of using albizia trees to create usable commercial products; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to study economically feasible ways in which businesses may use albizia trees to produce usable commercial products, including housing, throughout the State; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting the study, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to consult with the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and University of Hawaii School of Architecture; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources of the University of Hawaii at Manoa; and Dean of the School of Architecture of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Albizia; Commercial Products; DBEDT; Grant Program; Study
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43	43	WHEREAS, the albizia tree is an invasive species that can grow up to one hundred fifty feet tall; and
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47	47	WHEREAS, albizia trees can grow in nutrient-deficient soils, produce large quantities of wind-dispersed seeds, and grow at a very rapid rate, gaining up to fifteen feet in height each year; and
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51	51	WHEREAS, albizia trees can very quickly disrupt and replace native ecosystems and can easily take over a cleared area in just a few years; and
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55	55	WHEREAS, albizia trees have very brittle trunks and limbs that are structurally weak and prone to "sudden limb shear", a phenomenon in which live branches collapse without warning or apparent cause; and
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59	59	WHEREAS, branch collapses can occur even if a tree appears to be healthy; and
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63	63	WHEREAS, the phenomenon of "sudden limb shear", combined with the albizia tree's large size and fast growth, gives the tree the potential to cause major damage to property, infrastructure, and human life; and
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67	67	WHEREAS, as a result, state and county agencies and utility companies must constantly remove albizia trees; and
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71	71	WHEREAS, there are currently few beneficial uses for removed albizia trees; and
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75	75	WHEREAS, in 2018, a former University of Hawaii student led a team that successfully constructed a full-size prototype single-family home built from albizia wood, demonstrating that albizia could be used as a locally sourced building material; and
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79	79	WHEREAS, the team conducting the project indicated that there remained questions about whether the use of albizia wood for construction was economically feasible and whether builders could achieve economies of scale using the wood; and
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83	83	WHEREAS, if questions like these could be answered, the State could turn its overabundance of albizia trees into an economic opportunity; now, therefore,
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87	87	BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to establish a grant program to assist persons who:
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91	91	(1) Use albizia trees to create usable commercial products; or
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95	95	(2) Are developing new ways of using albizia trees to create usable commercial products; and
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99	99	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to study economically feasible ways in which businesses may use albizia trees to produce usable commercial products, including housing, throughout the State; and
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103	103	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting the study, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to consult with the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and University of Hawaii School of Architecture; and
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107	107	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and
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111	111	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources of the University of Hawaii at Manoa; and Dean of the School of Architecture of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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119	119	OFFERED BY: _____________________________
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123	123	OFFERED BY:
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125	125	_____________________________
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131	131	Report Title:
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133	133	Albizia; Commercial Products; DBEDT; Grant Program; Study