STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1844

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 796

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 796, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CIVIL DEFENSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to prepare the State for natural disasters and other catastrophic occurrences by:

(1)  Requiring the counties to condition permit approvals for new residential construction in tsunami inundation zones on the installation of tsunami warning sirens;

(2)  Appropriating funds:

     (A)  For emergency supply caches, the State Civil Defense Major Disaster Fund, and for non-declared disaster activation and response, to equip emergency shelters to support special needs populations; and

     (B)  To the Ethnic Education Foundation of Hawaii to disseminate civil defense information to Hawaii's non-English speaking and English-as-a-second-language populations;

(3)  Allowing the Governor during a natural disaster emergency to release up to ten percent of the interest earned on the moneys in the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund; and

(4)  Requiring the Disability Communications Access Board to identify internationally recognized symbols to be used in the event of a disaster or emergency.

The State Council on Developmental Disabilities, United Filipino Council of Hawaii, National Federation of Filipino American Associations Region 12, Philippine Nurses Association-Hawaii, Filipino Coalition for Solidarity, Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness Research and Training, Oahu Filipino Community Council, Congress of Visayan Organizations, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Honolulu City and County Department of Planning and Permitting opposed this bill.  The State of Hawaii Department of Defense submitted comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Removing the appropriations for emergency supply caches, the State Civil Defense Major Disaster Fund, non-declared disaster activation and response, and the Ethnic Education Foundation of Hawaii to disseminate civil defense information;

(2)  Removing the provision allowing the Governor to release interest moneys in the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund during a natural disaster emergency;

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to promote further discussion; and

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 796, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 796, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair