STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1238

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 369

       H.D. 3

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 369, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRE SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the Residential Kitchen Fire Task Force to investigate and develop plans to address the risk of residential kitchen fires.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, State Fire Council, Kauai Fire Department, County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety, Hawai‘i Fire Department, and Hawaii Fire Chiefs Association.

     Your Committee finds that according to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking equipment-related fires are the leading cause of fire loss.  This measure establishes the Residential Kitchen Fire Task Force to evaluate issues and concerns relating to residential kitchen fire safety, including reviewing data, insurance rating plans and methodology, financial incentives for voluntary pre-mitigation systems, and regulations regarding residential kitchen fires.  Evaluating these fire protection measures will help protect Hawaii residents from kitchen fires, which can devastate property and cause injury or death.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2013.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 369, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 369, H.D. 3, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair