STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1010-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1447

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1447, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LIFEGUARDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt county lifeguards, the employing counties, and the State from liability for civil damages resulting from any act or omission of the county lifeguard while providing lifeguard services, unless the claim results from a county lifeguard's gross negligence or wanton act or omission.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Mayor of the County of Kaua‘i; two members of the Kaua‘i County Council; Ocean Safety Bureau of the Kaua‘i Fire Department; one member of the Maui County Council; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawai‘i State Association of Counties; and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Association for Justice.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1447, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1447, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair