STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1342

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 253

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 253 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO REPORT CURRENT CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 STATISTICS IN ORDER TO HELP PROTECT THE MILITARY AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS ARE LOCATED,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the United States Department of Defense to report current coronavirus disease 2019 statistics in order to help protect the military communities and local communities in which the government and military installations are located.

Your Committee did not receive any testimony on this measure.

Your Committee finds that on March 31, 2020, United States Defense Secretary Mark Esper ordered all commanders of the Department of Defense installations worldwide to cease publicly releasing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) statistical information. Although the Department of Defense has released near-daily COVID-19 statistics on its website, the statistics are delayed and not disaggregated by base or even by State. Potentially unclear Department of Defense COVID-19 protocols of quarantine could contribute to super spreading the virus. This measure urges the Department of Defense to provide for better COVID-19 information for the protection of the State's communities.

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 253, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 253, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair