STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3950

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1588

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1588, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to mitigate natural disasters and other hazards.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Establishes the resilient Hawaii revolving loan fund into which shall be deposited federal moneys and other funds, and from which loans shall be provided to the counties and nonprofit organizations for local resilience projects that address the mitigation of hazards;

(2) Requires the Administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to administer the Resilient Hawaii revolving loan fund and apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the provisions of the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act, Public Law 116-284, to capitalize the fund when funding is available; and

(3) Appropriates moneys into and out of the resilient Hawaii revolving loan fund for the purposes of the measure, including the establishment and hiring of staff within the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

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

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the federal Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act, Public Law 116-284, enables states to lend moneys to local municipalities to conduct hazard mitigation and resiliency projects. Your Committee believes it is prudent for the State to establish a mechanism to utilize this and other federal funding opportunities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2051, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1588, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1588, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair