STAND. COM. REP. NO. 45

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 184

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 S.B. No. 184 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Appropriate funds to the State Department of Defense for the Adjutant General to assemble twenty-five civilian community teams; and

     (2)  Hire a coordinator to help establish and provide administrative oversight of and train the civilian community teams.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Department of Defense Emergency Management Agency and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that trained community citizens are imperative to any civil defense plan.  Community civilians are a great asset in assisting in disaster response, as they live in their communities and can quickly provide needed response and recovery support.  With proper training and knowledge, community civilians can provide first response support to local, state, and federal civil defense staff and help prepare their communities for emergency situations.

     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 S.B. No. 184 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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