HB 2195 Summary

• Establishes a cesspool compliance pilot grant project in the Department of Health to assist low- and moderate-income property owners and Hawaiian home land lessees with upgrading, converting, or connecting failing cesspools to approved wastewater systems or sewerage systems.

• Restricts grants to cesspools located in priority level 1 or 2 areas identified in the University of Hawaii's 2021 cesspool hazard assessment tool and to applicants with household income not exceeding 140% of the area median income as determined by HUD.

• Provides grants not to exceed $20,000 based on actual payment receipts after applicants complete system upgrades and receive director of health approval of the new wastewater system.

• Appropriates $5,000,000 from general revenues for fiscal year 2022-2023 to implement the pilot project, with funds authorized for contracting services to establish and administer the program.

• Sunsets the pilot program on June 30, 2028, and requires the Department of Health to report findings and recommendations to the legislature by twenty days before the 2024 regular legislative session.