STAND. COM. REP. NO. 524

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 161
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred H.B. No. 161 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEARCH AND RESCUE COSTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide a mechanism by which
the state may recover costs associated with search and rescue
operations.

     Testimony in support of this bill was received from the
Department of Defense.  Additional testimony was received from
Boats/Hawaii, Inc.

     Your Committee finds that individuals frequently choose to
ignore warnings posted by state and county public safety
officials.  As a result, these same individuals will often
require emergency assistance, thereby putting rescuers at serious
risk of harm while costing the taxpayers of this State thousands
of dollars in associated search and rescue costs.

     Your Committee further finds that individuals who proceed
with activities, which violate federal, state, or county laws or
ordinances or persons who ignore official posted warnings, should
be held fiscally accountable for their actions.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Exempting boaters from the provisions of this bill as
          this group is already governed by existing federal
          maritime laws; and

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 524
                                 Page 2

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of style and clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 161, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No.
161, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary &
                                   Hawaiian Affairs,



                                   ______________________________
                                   PAUL T. OSHIRO, Chair