STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1938

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 679

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 679, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure the safety of visitors to the State of Hawaii by:

(1)  Requiring the Board of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to request that the Governor declare that a tourism emergency exists under certain conditions;

(2)  Requiring HTA to implement emergency measures to respond to a tourism emergency; and

(3)  Establishing the Tourism Emergency Trust Fund.

     The Chamber of Commerce supported this bill.

     For the purposes of the public hearing, your Committee circulated a proposed draft that deletes the contents of this bill and inserts new provisions that establishes the Office of the Director of Disaster Preparedness and a Disaster Preparedness Commission to develop a disaster preparedness plan for Hawaii that includes:

(1)  The identification of hazards and hazard impact zones;

(2)  Disaster mitigation policies, requirements, and incentives; and

(3)  Best responses.

     Island Insurance Company supported this bill as proposed.  The Department of Defense, Department of Public Safety, Department of Accounting and General Services, Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, Department of Emergency Management of the City and County of Honolulu, Mayor of the Hawaii County, Kauai Civil Defense Agency, Hawaii Lumber Products Association, and several concerned individuals opposed this measure as proposed.  Several concerned individuals submitted comments on the proposed draft.

     After careful consideration, your Committee has further amended the proposed draft by:

(1)  Deleting the appropriation to fund the community emergency response team program training and support on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, and Kauai; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 679, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 679, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair