STAND. COM. REP. NO. 93

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 889

       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 S.B. No. 889 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JOINT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CENTER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriate funds to the Department of Defense to support the development of the Joint Emergency Management Center, including planning, land acquisition, and the initial appraisal scope.

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

     Your Committee finds that various public safety and emergency management agencies have expressed an interest in developing the Joint Emergency Management Center to increase their collaboration and communication before, during, and after disasters.  The addition of the Joint Emergency Management Center at a central location will bring together several essential agencies and organizations.  The implementation of this measure will lead to enhanced emergency response capabilities and better protect the people of Hawaii.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by amending section 1 to, among other things, clarify that the Joint Emergency Management Center will be at an undetermined, central location rather than a specific location.

     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. 889, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 889, 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