STAND. COM. REP. NO. 268-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1588

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1588 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAZARD MITIGATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Resilient Hawaii Revolving Loan Fund to make low- or no-interest loans to local governments and nonprofit organizations to conduct hazard mitigation and resiliency projects, using funds anticipated to be available under the federal Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act;

(2) Establish positions to administer the Resilient Hawaii Revolving Loan Fund; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the establishment and administration of the Resilient Hawaii Revolving Loan Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Human Services, and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the federal government enacted the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Management Act, Public Law 116-284, on January 1, 2021, which authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide capitalization grants to states to establish a revolving loan fund to provide hazard mitigation assistance to reduce risks relating to disasters and natural hazards. Your Committee believes that given the unpredictable nature of emergencies, the State should take advantage of as many federal funding opportunities as possible to ensure the safety of the State's citizen.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1588, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1588, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair