H.C.R. No. 72 Summary

• Urges the Tax Review Commission and Office of Planning to conduct feasibility studies on whether green fees (eco-taxes) can support Hawaii's climate change mitigation and adaptation goals.

• Hawaii's estimated annual conservation funding gap is $360 million, while the state invests less than 1 percent of its budget into natural resource management despite tourism's dependence on these assets.

• Tax Review Commission study must examine existing tax and fee structures supporting climate change mitigation and those applied to visitor accommodation and tourism industries.

• Office of Planning study must evaluate advantages and disadvantages of increasing, decreasing, or reallocating existing taxes versus establishing new green fees, and propose fee structures to close the $360 million annual funding gap over five years.

• Requires submission of findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation to the Legislature by December 31, 2020.