Report Title:

Civil Defense; Emergency Shelters; HHRF; DOE

Description:

Establishes the public school emergency shelter account to retrofit public emergency shelters located on school grounds and to prepare for natural disasters. Authorizes interest income from the Hawaii hurricane reserve trust fund to be deposited into the account. Appropriates funds.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1998

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

making an appropriation to the department of education.

 

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 302A, part VI, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A-   Public school emergency shelter account. (a) There is established a public school emergency shelter account in the department of education, which shall be comprised of funds transferred to the department from the interest income of the Hawaii hurricane reserve trust fund pursuant to section 431P-16, for disaster preparedness efforts as provided in subsection (b). The account shall not be used for any other purpose.

(b) Funds in the account shall be expended at the direction of the superintendent for:

(1) Retrofitting of emergency public shelters located on public school grounds to meet current public shelter design standards;

(2) Upgrading of disaster alert and communication systems at the schools and in the shelters; and

(3) Other safety measures needed to adequately prepare for receiving evacuees who are anticipated to use the public school emergency shelters.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, funds appropriated for this purpose that are unencumbered at the close of each fiscal year in the account shall not lapse until June 30 of the first fiscal year of the next fiscal biennium.

(d) The department of education shall submit:

(1) A report to the director of finance ninety days after the close of each fiscal year, which shall be prepared in the form prescribed by the director of finance and shall identify the total amount of funds in the account that shall carry over to the next fiscal year; and

(2) A copy of this report to the legislature at least twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session of the legislature."

SECTION 2. Section 431P-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (i) to read as follows:

"(i) Moneys in the hurricane reserve trust fund may be:

(1) Disbursed upon dissolution of the Hawaii hurricane relief fund; provided that:

(A) The net moneys in the hurricane reserve trust fund shall revert to the state general fund after payments by the fund on behalf of licensed property and casualty insurers or the State that are required to be made pursuant to any federal disaster insurance program enacted to provide insurance or reinsurance for hurricane risks are completed; and

(B) If such moneys are paid on behalf of licensed property and casualty insurers, payment shall be made in proportion to the premiums from policies of hurricane property insurance serviced by the insurers in the twelve months prior to dissolution of the fund; or

(2) Deposited to the loss mitigation grant fund established under section 431:22-102;

provided that all interest earned from the principal in the hurricane reserve trust fund shall be transferred and deposited into the [general fund] public school emergency shelter account, established pursuant to section 302A-  , each year that the hurricane reserve trust fund remains in existence."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the public school emergency shelter account the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for hurricane preparedness efforts for public emergency shelters located on school grounds.

SECTION 4. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.

INTRODUCED BY:

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