STAND. COM. REP. NO. 815

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1107

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1107, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII NATIONAL GUARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize members of the Army or Air National Guard who have been qualified through proper training and are authorized by their commanders to use non-lethal weapons when assisting civil authorities in disaster relief, civil defense, or law enforcement functions.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Department of Defense.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i.

     Honolulu is the site for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Meeting in November 2011.  The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is the premier forum for cooperation among Asia-Pacific economies on trade and investment issues.  The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering is one of the world's largest intergovernmental meetings and is attended by heads of state, cabinet ministers, the heads of the World Bank and World Trade Organization, and other business leaders.  This will be the largest such gathering in Hawaii's history.

     High profile events, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings, carry many security concerns.  With security preparations already underway, it is in the State's best interest to maximize its security resources.  Your Committee finds that members of the Army and Air National Guard must be authorized to use electric guns when assisting civil authorities in disaster relief, civil defense, or law enforcement functions.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting references to electric guns in place of references to non-lethal weapons; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1107, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1107, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair