STAND. COM. REP. NO. 677

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 742

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 742, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE FIRE COUNCIL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow the State Fire Council to employ staff to assist in accomplishing the council's statutory duties and responsibilities.

     Specifically, the measure authorizes the State Fire Council to hire an administrator and an administrative assistant.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from Kenneth G. Silva, Chair, State Fire Council, and Fire Chief, Honolulu Fire Department; Jeffrey A. Murray, Fire Chief Department of Fire and Public Safety, County of Maui; and Trisha Y. Nakamura, Esq., Policy and Advocacy Director, Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai'i.

     Your Committee finds that the State Fire Council needs to employ staff to better fulfill the Council's statutory responsibilities and to protect the safety of the public.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the issue; 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 Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 742, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 742, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair