HB2582

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the Hawaii emergency management agency's broadcast of a false alert of an inbound ballistic missile on January 13, 2018, and the amount of time it took the State to cancel the false alert is unacceptable.

In the aftermath of the false alert, the Hawaii emergency management agency implemented personnel and procedural changes and lawmakers promised to take corrective action to ensure that such a false alert would not occur again.

The legislature further finds that it is in the best interest of the State to demand accountability from emergency personnel, identify and correct weaknesses in the State's emergency management system, and take constructive action for disaster and emergency preparedness. To this point, it is important for the State to engage the entire community including businesses, universities and schools, the counties, media, and other stakeholders, in addition to the department of defense, to improve statewide disaster and emergency preparedness systems and protocols.

The purpose of this Act is to support the State of Hawaii in its efforts to plan for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies by:

(1) Establishing a Hawaii disaster preparedness task force to review current disaster management coordination and other functional components of disaster planning, and to develop recommendations on creating a Hawaii disaster preparedness plan; and

(2) Requiring the national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii to prepare the Hawaii disaster preparedness plan, incorporating recommendations of the Hawaii disaster preparedness task force, to design and implement state goals, objectives, policies, protocols, and priority guidelines.

SECTION 2. (a) There is established a Hawaii disaster preparedness task force within the national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii to review current disaster management coordination and other functional components of disaster planning.

(b) The task force shall consist of:

(1) Three members of the house of representatives who shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(2) Three members of the senate who shall be appointed by the senate president;

(3) The adjutant general or the adjutant general's designee;

(4) The chairperson of the public utilities commission or the chairperson's designee;

(5) The director of the office of planning or the director's designee;

(6) The executive director of the national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii or the executive director's designee;

(7) The president of the University of Hawaii or the president's designee;

(8) The chairperson of the board of education or the chairperson's designee;

(9) The chairperson of the Hawaii tourism authority board of directors or the chairperson's designee;

(10) The chairperson of the board of directors of the retail merchants of Hawaii or the chairperson's designee;

(11) The president and chief executive officer of the chamber of commerce Hawaii or the president and chief executive officer's designee;

(12) The executive director of the Hawaii association of broadcasters or the executive director's designee;

(13) One member from the department of urban and regional planning at the University of Hawaii who shall be appointed by the president of the University of Hawaii;

(14) Three members each from the county of Hawaii, city and county of Honolulu, county of Kauai, and county of Maui, consisting for each county of the departmental director of the appropriate county planning department or agency or the director's designee, the departmental director of the appropriate county emergency management department or agency or the director's designee, and one member appointed by the mayor; and

(15) The director of the legislative reference bureau or the director's designee.

(d) The members of the task force shall receive reimbursement for expenses, including travel expenses, that are necessary for the performance of their duties. No member shall be made subject to section 84-17, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of that member's participation as a member of the task force. The task force shall be exempt from chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

(e) The national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii shall assist the task force in performing its duties as required under this Act.

(f) The task force shall review, solicit input on, and develop recommendations for the creation of the Hawaii disaster preparedness plan to ensure its relevance as a guide for future long-term disaster planning. In executing this function, the task force shall:

(1) Determine if existing disaster management criteria for allocating resources and addressing coordination among federal, state, and county agencies are adequate;

(2) Determine if existing disaster management facilities associated with emergency response, public safety regeneration, and civic restoration are adequate;

(3) Research the implementation of a structured, systemic, and timely disaster management outreach program targeting public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders;

(4) Identify and list the capabilities and weaknesses of the State and counties in disaster planning, response, and recovery;

(5) Assess disaster planning needs within the State;

(6) Install mechanisms to prevent and immediately cancel false alerts;

(7) Determine the best use of appropriate technologies and communications systems, including social media, for the accurate and immediate dissemination of critical information throughout the State;

(8) Promote efficiency, accuracy, accountability, and reliability of emergency management functions;

(9) Conduct necessary follow-up on the deputy adjutant general's report and modifications to the state's missile alert system as a result of the ballistic missile false alert on January 13, 2018;

(10) Determine the likely impacts of various disaster scenarios in the State and estimate the time required to restore functions within the State if the disaster were to strike under current conditions;

(11) Research and record best practices for disaster planning, response, and recovery from other states and other national and international sources;

(12) Determine the effectiveness and feasibility of statewide disaster and emergency simulation exercises;

(13) Define acceptable timeframes to restore all statewide functions after a disaster to fulfill expected resilient performance;

(14) Recommend changes in practice, policies, and protocols that, if implemented during the next fifty years, will allow Hawaii to reach the desired disaster preparedness, management, and recovery targets; and

(15) Develop criteria and benchmarks to measure compliance with task force recommendations that have been enacted into law or adopted as policies by governmental agencies and to guide budgetary priorities.

SECTION 3. The task force shall submit a report of its findings, program recommendations, and proposed legislation, if any, to the legislature and to the national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2019.

SECTION 4. Upon receipt of the task force's report, the national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii shall prepare the Hawaii disaster preparedness plan, which shall define and implement state goals, objectives, policies, protocols, and priority guidelines in the State's efforts to plan for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies.

The national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii, in preparing the plan, shall seek input from all state agencies, solicit public views and concerns, and incorporate recommendations reported by the Hawaii disaster preparedness task force. The plan shall serve as a guideline for funding and implementation by state and county agencies. The legislative reference bureau shall assist the national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii in finalizing the plan.

SECTION 5. The national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii shall submit the Hawaii disaster preparedness plan to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2020.

SECTION 6. The national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii, with cooperation from the legislative reference bureau, shall update the Hawaii disaster preparedness plan in 2021 and report to the legislature.

SECTION 7. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the review, recommendations, and community planning to be performed by the Hawaii disaster preparedness task force pursuant to this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 8. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for creating the Hawaii disaster preparedness plan.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the national disaster preparedness training center at the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2018.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2582
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII