STAND. COM. REP. NO.  695

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 424

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 424 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to assist in the repair of damages caused by the October 15, 2006, Kiholo Bay earthquake and improve Hawaii's readiness for future disasters by:

     (1)  Providing state matching funds to draw down the federal funds that are available under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and 

     (2)  Appropriating additional funds for various other measures to repair state facilities and strengthen state preparedness for future incidents.

     The Mayor of the County of Hawaii, Hamakua Agricultural Plan Steering Committee, Hamakua North Hilo Agricultural Cooperative, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Agriculture supported the intent of this measure.  The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Defense submitted comments.

     After careful consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Specifying that funds appropriated will go to:

(A)  Upgrade state and county warning systems by providing emergency backup power generators to selected critical facilities such as radio and television stations to ensure continuity of operations in informing the general public of potential immediate risks; and

(B)  Hire consultants to:

              (i)  Investigate and survey alternate sources of      irrigation water for the island of Hawaii;

              (ii) Develop and coordinate plans for public and            private partnerships to improve and protect         sources and distribution of irrigation water      on the island of Hawaii; and

             (iii)  Provide financial assistance to critical   facilities such as public schools, hospitals,    and nursing facilities for structural and non- structural mitigation projects;

(2)  Making the Department of Defense the expending agency for the state matching funds for the federal Public Assistance Program and Individual Assistance Program pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act;

(3)  Providing funding in accordance with section 9 of article VII, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii and sections 37-91 and 37-93, Hawaii Revised Statutes, whereby the Legislature has determined that the appropriations contained in this Act will cause the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2006-2007 to be exceeded by $111,841,598 or 2.1 per cent.  The reasons for exceeding the general fund expenditure ceiling are that the appropriations made in this Act are necessary to serve the public interest and to meet the needs provided for by this Act for the repair of the Waimea Irrigation System;

(4)  Deleting provisions to fund multimedia public awareness campaigns;

(5)  Deleting provisions to fund the development of contingency plans to ensure uninterrupted communications between public safety agencies in the case of widespread power failures; and

(6)  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. 424, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 424, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair