Senators at the joint hearing on Jan. 31 took testimony on Senate Bill 657, which would appropriate $3 million to establish a Center for Climate Resilient Development within the University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST).

Michael Kane of the Department of Land and Natural Resources said the department "stand[s] in strong support of this bill," adding that agencies rely on the center's data to make recommendations to the Legislature. Chip Fletcher, interim dean of SOEST, told the committee the center produces the states sea-level-rise modeling and said "there are 8 different laws and policies around the state that rely on our data that also indicate that our data needs to be updated on a regular basis." Fletcher added that recent research from the center identified groundwater inundation as a major coastal threat in some locations.

Why it matters: Witnesses and members debated how to fund the center. Fletcher and others noted that federal funding is sometimes unreliable; one senator asked if Tourist Accommodations Tax (TAT) funds could be a source. Testimony included both technical support and critical remarks questioning the need for additional money; the committee heard scientists and community members describe different views on climate projections.

Details and committee questions: The appropriation request cited $3 million for the center. Witnesses described specific uses: long-term modeling, interdisciplinary research, student training, and community-facing resilience planning. Senators pressed whether the money should come from the university budget, the general fund or a portion of TAT; witnesses deferred to the Legislature on the appropriation source. A committee critic challenged the underlying science during questioning; SOEST faculty responded with references to peer-reviewed climate science and the center's ongoing modeling work.

Ending: The committee heard support from academic and community groups and requested additional budget-source information before decision making; no formal action was taken during the hearing.