Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety & Military Affairs and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2339 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to increase the Civil Defense Vice-Director's salary to the rate of general schedule 15 (i.e., GS 15), or that of a colonel in the United States military.

The Department of Defense testified in strong support of this bill.

Your Committees find that, since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the state civil defense agency has been given added responsibility. The Vice-Director is the sole agent for the State in charge of managing and dispersing over $80,000,000 in federal grants. Your Committee finds that, to maintain a high level of effectiveness, the Vice-Director of Civil Defense should be paid a salary that reflects the responsibility and duties of the position.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety & Military Affairs and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2339 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.