STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1350

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 58

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 58 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE CIVIL DEFENSE DIVISION OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO DESIGNATE A LEAD STAFF TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL HEALTH NEEDS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the State Civil Defense designate a lead staff person to address the disaster preparedness needs of individuals with disabilities and special health needs.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Director of Civil Defense of the State Department of Defense, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, Center on Disability Studies, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and five individuals.

     Your Committees find that given the recent disasters, such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita of 2005, and more recently, the earthquakes affecting Hawaii, the needs of individuals with disabilities and other special health needs became more apparent as a part of the overall community emergency preparedness.

     Your Committees further find that it is important to expand and improve Hawaii's emergency management operations by supporting the equipping of emergency shelters and designating a statewide coordinator to address and plan for specific and specialized needs of individuals with disabilities and special health needs.  To this end, it is the intent of your Committees to:

     (1)  Request that a lead staff person address the disaster preparedness needs of individuals with disabilities and special health needs; and

     (2)  Request that the State Department of Defense report the designation of its lead staff person to address the disaster preparedness needs of individuals with disabilities and special health needs to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2008 Regular Session.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 58 and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Health,

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair