STAND. COM. REP. NO. 489

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 609

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.B. No. 609 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to create the Homeland Security and Resiliency Council to identify electric grid and other critical infrastructure needs and provide recommendations for enhancing grid and critical infrastructure resiliency throughout the State.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, Hawaiian Electric Company and its subsidiaries, Hawai‘i Gas, Young Brothers, and O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, and Life of the Land.

Your Committees find that Hawaii is susceptible to natural disasters like flooding, hurricanes, and storm surges. Your Committees also find that critical infrastructure resiliency is particularly important due to the State's remote location and a resilient electric grid is a critical component to the State's ability to overcome a natural disaster.

Your Committees further find that creating a Homeland Security and Resiliency Council to identify electric grid and other critical infrastructure needs and provide recommendations for enhancing grid and critical infrastructure resiliency throughout the State is imperative as the frequency and intensity of natural disasters are on the rise.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Adding representatives of each gas utility company that operates in the State to the individuals to be invited to join the Homeland Security and Resiliency Council;

(2) Adding representatives of each water carrier that operates between points in the State to the individuals to be invited to join the Homeland Security and Resiliency Council;

(3) Making the Administrator of the Hawaii State Energy Office the co-chair, in lieu of the Director of the Office of Planning, on the Homeland Security and Resiliency Council;

(4) Amending the definition of "critical infrastructure sector" to include the sectors of gas energy and interisland transport of property by water; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 609, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 609, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair