STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1110

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1344

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1344 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MITIGATION OF HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to hire a coordinator and a contracting specialist to oversee all aspects of the mitigation of hazardous situations program and ensure proper fiscal oversight; and

     (2)  Appropriate funds for the hiring of the coordinator and contracting specialist.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that in the absence of an emergency or disaster, the Governor is authorized to allow state employees, agents, contractors, or representatives to enter private property to mitigate situations deemed to be hazardous to the health and safety of the public.  However, there is no funding available to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to hire designated personnel to oversee the mitigation of hazardous situations.

     Your Committee further finds that there are often significant events in the State that greatly affect the State's residents.  Allowing the news media to cover the mitigation of hazardous situations and access areas that are closed, pursuant to emergency management powers, enables the news media to disseminate complete information to residents.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting language to allow the news media, under the supervision of emergency management agency personnel, to cover the mitigation of hazardous situations and access areas that are closed pursuant to emergency management powers of the Governor or Mayor; and

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

     Your Committee notes that the implementation of this measure will provide better assurance that necessary action is taken to mitigate hazardous situations that threaten public safety while also safely providing the news media with access to closed areas.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1344, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1344, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair