STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1275

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 144

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 144, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to protect the health and safety of persons and property in the State by reauthorizing an appropriation that is scheduled to lapse on June 30, 2017, for the mitigation of hazardous situations statewide.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

     Your Committee finds that the appropriation made by Act 122, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, to mitigate hazardous situations throughout the State has been successful and prevented significant damage from occurring during the 2016 Tropical Storm Darby event.  However, the moneys appropriated by Act 122 will lapse on June 30, 2017.  Therefore, it is necessary to re-appropriate the remaining unspent funds to ensure the program can continue.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     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 H.B. No. 144, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 144, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair