SCR 157 – Summary
Overview
- Bill type: Concurrent Resolution
- Title: URGING THE STATE TO ADOPT THE AGREEMENT UNDER THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA ON THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF MARINE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF AREAS BEYOND NATIONAL JURISDICTION AND SUPPORT LEGISLATIVE, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND POLICY MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT AT THE STATE AND COUNTY LEVELS
- Sponsor: Senator RHOADS (primary)
- Companion: SR 127
- Introduced: March 7, 2025
- Current status: Senate-approved and transmitted to the House (as of April 3–4, 2025). House referral to WAL and EEP on April 4, 2025. Referred to WAL, EEP per referral sheet 28.
What the bill would do
- Purpose: The resolution urges Hawaii’s State government to adopt the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) and to support legislative, administrative, and policy measures to implement it at both state and county levels. It also calls for inclusive, rights-based, sustainable considerations aligned with climate justice.
- Core thrust: Use the BBNJ framework as a basis to enhance cooperation, coordination, and action among state and local actors to protect marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, address climate-related impacts, and promote fair sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources and digital sequence information.
Key provisions and concepts highlighted
- Emphasis on the BBNJ Agreement’s aims, including protection and conservation of vast ocean areas through cooperative mechanisms.
- Acknowledgment of climate change impacts on marine ecosystems (warming, deoxygenation, acidification) and the need for sustainable research and management.
- Focus on fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from marine genetic resources and digital sequence information from areas beyond national jurisdiction.
- Elements of the BBNJ framework noted as guidance for state action:
- Marine genetic resources and digital sequence information
- Area-based management tools (e.g., marine protected areas)
- Environmental impact assessments
- Capacity building and transfer of marine technology
- Call for a climate-justice oriented, rights-based approach and for greater participation in UN processes related to sustainable development and human rights.
- Formal deliverables: Certified copies of the resolution would be transmitted to the Governor and the mayors of each county.
Who would be affected
- State and county governments: Encouraged to adopt the BBNJ Agreement and implement related measures at the state and county levels.
- State agencies and policymakers: Directed to consider inclusive, sustainable, and rights-based approaches in related policy development and administration.
- Stakeholders referenced in the BBNJ framework (e.g., scientists, Indigenous peoples and local communities, civil society, research institutions, private sector): The resolution signals alignment with their roles in climate justice, sustainable development, and the protection of marine biodiversity.
Procedural and timeline notes
- The resolution’s preamble frames the international significance of the BBNJ Agreement (adopted June 19, 2023) and its key components.
- Legislative history indicates rapid movement through committees (AEN and TCA in the Senate) with favorable recommendations (PASSED, UNAMENDED) and two no votes (Awa, DeCorte) before transmission to the House.
- In the House, the resolution has been referred to WAL and EEP (as of early April 2025) for consideration.
Fiscal considerations
- The text does not authorize new appropriations or set aside funds. As a concurrent resolution, it expresses the sense of the Legislature and encourages action; any fiscal impact would depend on subsequent state or county measures to implement the BBNJ framework.
