REPORT TITLE:
Y2K Task Force; Special Fund


DESCRIPTION:
Creates temporary Y2K emergency preparedness task force within
DOD to include a director, secretary, and information officer to:
(1) examine vulnerable areas such as disruption of supply of food
and medicine; (2) develop a response; (3) administer an emergency
preparedness fund.  Appropriates $100,000,000 to fund.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           1208
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO A TEMPORARY YEAR 2000 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TASK
   FORCE AND MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR A YEAR 2000 TEMPORARY
   EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FUND.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The year 2000 problem stems from the fact that
 
 2 data systems recognize only the last two digits of a year, and
 
 3 "00" is read as "1900" instead of "2000".  These computer systems
 
 4 must be modified to enable compliance and prevent errors or
 
 5 system failures before January 1, 2000.  "Year 2000 compliant"
 
 6 means, with respect to any computer system, that the system
 
 7 accurately processes date and time data (including calculating,
 
 8 comparing, projecting, and sequencing) from, into, and between
 
 9 the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and the years 1999 and
 
10 2000, and leap year calculations.
 
11      The State's committee to address state government's
 
12 activities to ensure compliance reports that the State is on
 
13 schedule to meet its compliance obligations.  However, it is
 
14 unlikely that all computer systems that affect the daily lives of
 
15 Hawaii's residents, both in the State and on the mainland and
 
16 globally, will be in compliance in time to avoid widespread
 
17 disruption of services.  That disruption will occur is generally
 
18 accepted.  However, the extent of this disruption is debatable.
 
19 The conventional wisdom is that no one really knows what will
 

 
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 1 happen and how serious it will be.
 
 2      There is an unquantifiable chance that major systems will
 
 3 break down and cause social upheaval in Hawaii.  Our geographic
 
 4 isolation as an island state highlights our vulnerability in the
 
 5 event physical transport is interrupted or discontinued for a
 
 6 prolonged period, affecting all items and commodities that the
 
 7 State needs to continuously import, such as food and oil.  It is
 
 8 only prudent for the State to take practical steps, in addition
 
 9 to working towards compliance, to prepare for eventual disruption
 
10 due to systems breakdown due to the year 2000 problem.
 
11      The purpose of this Act is to address the year 2000 problem
 
12 by establishing a temporary year 2000 emergency preparedness task
 
13 force and to create a temporary reserve fund.
 
14      SECTION 2.  (a)  There is created a temporary year 2000
 
15 emergency preparedness task force within the department of
 
16 defense.  The adjutant general shall designate the members of the
 
17 task force to include at least a director, a secretary, and an
 
18 information officer.  The task force shall examine areas that are
 
19 vulnerable to potential disruption in the State due to the year
 
20 2000 compliance problem.  These areas include the supply and
 
21 distribution of vital resources such as food and medicine that
 
22 may be subject to interruption or discontinuation from sources
 
23 either inside or outside the State.  The task force shall develop
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           1208
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 practical steps to address these potential disruptions in the
 
 2 supply and distribution of vital resources including the
 
 3 administration of the year 2000 temporary emergency preparedness
 
 4 fund under subsection (d).
 
 5      (b)  The task force shall begin its work no later than five
 
 6 business days after the effective date of this Act.  The task
 
 7 force, as soon as its examination and plans are complete, but no
 
 8 later than October 31, 1999, shall immediately begin to
 
 9 disseminate to the public the results of its examination and
 
10 development of its plans to address potential year 2000
 
11 disruption problems.
 
12      (c)  The task force shall work with the department of
 
13 accounting and general services, which was tasked by Act 213,
 
14 Session Laws of Hawaii 1998, to report on the progress of efforts
 
15 undertaken in all state departments in the executive branch to
 
16 address the year 2000 problem.  
 
17      (d)  There is created a year 2000 temporary emergency
 
18 preparedness fund within the department of defense.  The fund
 
19 shall act as an emergency reserve of cash in the event electronic
 
20 banking, credit, and cash systems become inoperable.  Moneys from
 
21 this fund shall be used in accordance with plans developed by the
 
22 task force and shall be limited to interest-free loans to be
 
23 distributed to residents of Hawaii, in accordance with
 

 
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 1 requirements developed by the task force, for the emergency
 
 2 purchase of food and medicine that may become temporarily
 
 3 unavailable due to disruptions of supply and distribution of
 
 4 these commodities into and in the State.
 
 5      (e)  The task force shall submit to the legislature:
 
 6      (1)  A final report regarding the development and
 
 7           application of its plans to address the year 2000
 
 8           problem no later than December 1, 1999; and
 
 9      (2)  A final report regarding the administration of the year
 
10           2000 temporary emergency preparedness fund, including a
 
11           full accounting of how moneys from the fund were used,
 
12           no later than March 31, 2000.
 
13      (f)  The task force shall terminate on June 30, 2000.
 
14      SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
15 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $100,000,000, or so
 
16 much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000, to be
 
17 deposited into the year 2000 temporary emergency preparedness
 
18 fund for the purposes of this Act.  The sum appropriated shall be
 
19 expended by the department of defense for the purposes of this
 
20 Act; provided that:
 
21      (1)  No later than June 30, 2000, the department of defense
 
22           shall return all unexpended moneys in the year 2000
 
23           temporary emergency preparedness fund to the general
 

 
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 1           fund;
 
 2      (2)  The department of defense shall repay to the general
 
 3           fund, in quarterly repayments until all amounts have
 
 4           been repaid, all amounts loaned to Hawaii residents in
 
 5           accordance with this Act that have not been repaid by
 
 6           June 30, 2000.  The year 2000 temporary emergency
 
 7           preparedness fund shall remain open to receive
 
 8           repayments from Hawaii residents who have not fully
 
 9           repaid their loans by June 30, 2000; and
 
10      (3)  The year 2000 temporary emergency preparedness fund
 
11           shall terminate on the day that the adjutant general
 
12           determines that all amounts have been repaid to the
 
13           general fund.
 
14      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval,
 
15 except that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
16 
 
17                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________