STAND. COM. REP. NO.  338-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2466

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2466 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to enhance wildfire management by authorizing the counties to enact ordinances declaring an area with an average annual rainfall of less than ten inches to be a fireworks prohibited zone.

     The State Fire Council supported this bill.  The Legislative Information Services of Hawaii supported this measure with amendments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Providing that the counties may authorize the fire chief to proclaim an area to be a fireworks prohibited zone upon a determination that there is a substantial risk to public safety;

(2)  Specifying that the area to be declared a fireworks prohibited zone must be done so a specific amount of time prior to the start of any authorized use of fireworks or articles pyrotechnic; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2466, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2466, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs,

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair