STAND. COM. REP. NO. 199

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 993

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 993 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve and enhance the effectiveness of the State Emergency Management Program by:

(1) Clarifying the duties and responsibilities between the Director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and the Administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency;

(2) Requiring that each county, under the mayor's direction, coordinate, develop, and implement a comprehensive emergency management plan for the county and submit annual reports to the Administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency on the status and updates of the plan;

(3) Clarifying the leadership, duties, and responsibilities of the Emergency Management Reserve Corps;

(4) Increasing the Major Disaster Fund's expenditure ceiling allowed to the Governor for immediate relief as a result of any single emergency or disaster from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000; and

(5) Increasing the allotment from the Major Disaster Fund to support the Emergency Management Reserve Corps from $100,000 to $250,000.

The Adjutant General, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Department of Transportation, and O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i supported this measure.

Your Committee notes that the Emergency Management Reserve Corps has a membership of six to eight individuals, but the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is hopeful of increasing the Emergency Management Reserve Corps' membership to twenty to thirty individuals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the expenditure ceiling allowed to the Governor for immediate relief as a result of any single emergency or disaster to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the allotment from the Major Disaster Fund to support the Emergency Management Reserve Corps to an unspecified amount; and

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion on this measure.

Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs respectfully requests that it consider:

(1) Increasing the expenditure ceiling allowed to the Governor for immediate relief as a result of any single emergency or disaster to $10,000,000; and

(2) Increasing the allotment from the Major Disaster Fund to support the Emergency Management Reserve Corps to $250,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 993, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 993, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair