STAND. COM. REP. NO. 473

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 954

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness and Labor & Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 954 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to convert certain employees of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency from civil service status to exempt status.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Defense and one individual.

Your Committees find that the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency does not have sufficient staff and applicants to fill critical vacancies with well-trained, experienced, and qualified personnel. Exempting certain positions from civil service status within the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency will allow the State to competitively recruit and retain highly qualified individuals and reduce the State's risk in having critical positions vacant for extended periods.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Including the Executive Officer of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency as a position exempt from civil service status;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness and Labor & Tourism that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 954, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 954, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness and Labor & Tourism,

____________________________ RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Chair

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair