STAND. COM. REP. NO. 30-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2333

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. 2333 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELAND SECURITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the Hawaii State Fusion Center (Center) as a program under the Office of Homeland Security and establish the state-funded position of the Hawaii State Fusion Center Director, who shall be responsible to the Director of Homeland Security and manage the operations of the Center.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Adjutant General, Department of Defense; Office of Homeland Security, Department of Defense; Department of Human Services; Department of Emergency Management, City and County of Honolulu; Board of Water Supply, City and County of Honolulu; Retail Merchants of Hawaii; and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that this measure will codify, and thereby solidify, the Center within the Office of Homeland Security. According to the Board of Water Supply, the Board has already partnered with the Center through a memorandum of understanding executed in June 2016. The Board noted that, as a water utility serving almost one million residents and visitors, it has been designated a part of Hawaii's critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security. Similarly, your Committee finds instructive the Department of Human Services' testimony that its staff has attended trainings and briefings available through the Center as a partner agency. Those discussions have addressed cybersecurity, online law enforcement to identify sex trafficking, active shooters, and most recently, a presentation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding procedures to address the Coronavirus.

Your Committee further finds that the Center allows for information sharing to ensure its partners are equipped with the tools needed to keep Hawaii and the Nation safe, secure, and resilient. The Department of Defense explained that fusion centers empower front line law enforcement, public safety, fire, emergency responders, public health, and critical infrastructure protection and private sector security personnel to understand the implications of intelligence for and to the State. Your Committee finds the functions of the Center to be critical to the State's protection against crime, terrorism, and other incidents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2333, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2333, 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