STAND. COM. REP. NO. 286-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2329

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2329 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the Hazard Mitigation Special Fund for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and appropriate funds for personnel costs and operating and administrative costs deemed necessary by the agency to administer section 127A-18, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which allows certain personnel to enter private property in the absence of an emergency or disaster, with notice to the landowner and occupant, to address dangerous trees and unstable rock and soil conditions and mitigate flood hazards.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Adjutant General, Department of Defense; Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; Hawaii State Energy Office; and Department of Emergency Management, City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that creation of the special fund will provide the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency a dedicated funding source for personnel to mitigate situations deemed hazardous to the health and safety of the public through the actions identified in the statute.

Your Committee understands funding for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to perform this work is nearly exhausted. This measure will provide funding to allow this work to continue, thereby protecting the public and in some situations, preventing potentially even greater hazards from developing.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount and making the appropriation sections effective on July 1, 2020, the start of the next fiscal year; and

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

Should your Committee on Finance decide to hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $5,000,000 for the Hazard Mitigation Special Fund.

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. 2329, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2329, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair