STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2080

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2874

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2874 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NATURAL DISASTERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for structural and nonstructural earthquake recovery and mitigation projects, provided that the projects include measures with a multi-hazard approach to ensure survivability in future disasters.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from State Department of Defense and one individual.  Comments were received from the Department of Agriculture.

     Act 78 Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, appropriated $24,900,000 in emergency funds for fiscal year 2006-2007 to cover various operational expenses and project costs associated with disaster recovery and mitigation efforts in the Counties of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai, and the City and County of Honolulu, in the wake of the Kiholo Bay earthquake on October 15, 2006.

     The Legislature finds that thus far, only approximately $7,500,000 of the total authorized funds has been expended for earthquake disaster recovery operations.  Continuing adverse weather conditions and a lack of qualified contractors have delayed projects.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2874, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2874, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair