SB 657 Summary

• Establishes a Center for Climate Resilient Development within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to address climate adaptation and resilience planning.

• Center will provide community-focused guidance on climate hazards, assess risk and vulnerabilities by district (moku), and recommend capital improvement and resilience projects across the State.

• Appropriates unspecified general revenue funds for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to establish and operate the center (specific dollar amount not filled in the bill text).

• Center will leverage existing SOEST modeling expertise in sea level rise, hurricane storm surge, heat projections, and wildfire ignition modeling that is currently dependent on soft-money grants and at risk of being lost.

• Takes effect July 1, 3000 (appears to be a drafting error; likely intended as July 1, 2025).