STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1637

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 954

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 954, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

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

More specifically, this measure extends exempt status to the executive officer, public information officer, civil defense administrative officer, branch chiefs, and emergency operations center state warning point personnel.

Your Committees received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and Hawaii State Energy Office.

Your Committees received written comments in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committees find that exempting key positions from civil service status will help the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency create a more responsive, flexible, and aggressive hiring system to recruit and retain experienced emergency management professionals. Your Committees note that the exempt status extended to certain Hawaii Emergency Management Agency personnel in this measure is normally reserved for management positions.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 954, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 954, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair