STAND. COM. REP. NO.  177-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2485

      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. 2485 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect people, property, and natural resources from the risk of wildland fires by:

(1)  Establishing the Firewise Hawaii Program (Program) in the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR); and

(2)  Creating the Firewise Hawaii Special Fund (Special Fund),

to address the growing fire danger in wildland-urban interface areas of the state.

     The Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  DLNR supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance and MCS International submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Changing the name of the Program and the Special Fund to the Wildland-urban Interface Program and Wildland-urban Interface Special Fund;

(2)  Placing the Program and the Special Fund under the "Land Fire Protection Law" in Chapter 185, Hawaii Revised Statutes; 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. 2485, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2485, 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