STAND. COM. REP. NO. 596

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 875

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 Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 875 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR STATE LIFEGUARDS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for salaries, benefits, equipment, and other related expenses for state-funded lifeguards at Kua Bay, Kekaha Kai State Park, which is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources on the island of Hawai‘i.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Aha Moku Advisory Committee; Hawai‘i Tourism Authority; two members of the Hawai‘i County Council; County of Hawaii, Office of the Mayor; Hawai‘i State Association of Counties; Kohala Coast Resort Association; Hawaii State Drowning and Aquatics Injury Prevention Advisory Committee; O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; and three individuals.

Your Committees find that Kua Bay, located within Kekaha Kai State Park, has experienced increased popularity and growing numbers of visitors. The increase in visitors has been accompanied by an alarming increase in water safety incidents, with ten spinal cord injuries over the 2009 to 2017 period and a few fatal drownings in the past ten years. Your Committees find that in the interest of public health and safety, it is necessary to appropriate funds for lifeguards and life-saving equipment at Kua Bay.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 875 and recommend that it pass Second Reading 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 Water and Land,

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair