STAND. COM. REP. NO. 261-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2331

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. 2331 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a Long-term Recovery Authority to work with the State Disaster Recovery Coordinator to enhance the capacity of the government, relevant agencies, and the community to recover from the impacts of disasters and build resilience and sustainability.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor, Department of Transportation, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and Office of Planning. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office.

Your Committee finds that establishing a unified Long-term Recovery Authority will provide a more holistic approach to coordinating recovery efforts statewide. Policies and strategies developed by the Long-term Recovery Authority should improve collaboration among various governmental, private, and community partners to restore essential community functions and infrastructure following disasters.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) More clearly incorporating the Federal Emergency Management Agency's key functional areas of assistance in the definition of "recovery support functions";

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

(3) Changing the expending agency to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency rather than the Office of the Governor since the Long-term Recovery Authority is established within the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; and

(4) 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 $550,000 to support the Long-term Recovery Authority and State Disaster Recovery Coordinator, and their associated responsibilities under this measure.

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. 2331, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2331, 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