HB965 would establish a microplastic filtration rebate program within the Department of Land and Natural Resources, in consultation with the Commission on Water Resource Management. The program is intended to encourage the purchase and installation of microplastic filtration systems for residential and commercial washing machines, including machines sold with built-in filtration, by reimbursing eligible purchasers up to the retail cost or a set rebate amount, whichever is lower. The bill also requires the department to create application forms, verify claims, and conduct outreach and education to promote the program.
The bill includes findings that washing machines are a significant source of microplastic pollution because synthetic fibers shed during laundry can pass through wastewater treatment and enter marine environments. It states that rebates can help offset the cost of filters and increase adoption. The program would apply only to purchases and installations made after July 1, 2025, and applications would have to be filed within 12 months of purchase or installation. The bill also appropriates funds for both the rebate program and its administration for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, with expenditures to be made by DLNR.
Impact
HB965 would add a new section to chapter 174C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, creating a state rebate program for microplastic filtration systems and washing machines equipped with such systems. It would direct the Department of Land and Natural Resources, working with the Commission on Water Resource Management, to administer the program and use appropriated funds from the general revenues and the water resource management fund. The bill would affect residential and commercial washing machine owners, retailers, and manufacturers of filtration systems by creating a financial incentive for adoption and by tying eligibility to post-July 1, 2025 purchases and installations.
Sentiment
The bill appears generally supportive and environmentally focused, with its stated purpose centered on reducing microplastic pollution and protecting marine ecosystems and human health. The available context shows no recorded committee testimony or votes, so there is no documented opposition or amendment debate in the provided materials. Its referral to EEP and FIN suggests it was still in the committee process and subject to further fiscal and policy review.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are likely fiscal and administrative rather than ideological: the bill requires appropriations but leaves the rebate dollar amounts blank, which would need to be set before implementation. Questions may also arise about program cost, eligibility verification, administrative burden on DLNR, and whether rebates are the most effective way to address microplastic pollution compared with other regulatory approaches. Because the bill covers both residential and commercial machines, stakeholders could differ on whether the program should prioritize households, businesses, or manufacturers.
Encouraging The Adoption Of Recommendations From The United Nations Global Plastics Treaty And Rapa Nui Summit Declaration To Address Climate Justice And Sustainable Development.
Water supply: quality and standards; testing and reporting of the amount of microplastics in public drinking water supplies; require. Amends sec. 5 of 1976 PA 399 (MCL 325.1005) & adds sec. 6a.
Trade: consumer goods and services; personal care products containing plastic microbeads; prohibit manufacture and acceptance for sale. Amends 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.101 - 324.90106) by adding subpt. 3 to pt. 147.