STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1715

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.R. No. 44

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.R. No. 44 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ESTABLISH A TWO-YEAR TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS KEY FINDINGS VALIDATED BY THE 2022 RESILIENCY ASSESSMENT REPORT OF THE HAWAII MARITIME TRANSPORTATION REGIONAL RESILIENCY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM PROJECT AND PLAN RESILIENCY ENHANCEMENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, in conjunction with the Harbors Division of the Department of Transportation, to establish a two-year task force to address the key findings of the July 2022 Resiliency Assessment report of the Hawaii Maritime Transportation Regional Resiliency Assessment Program Project and plan for related resiliency enhancements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; Hawaii Harbor Users Group; and Matson Navigation Company, Inc.

Your Committee finds that the Port of Honolulu is a vital link in Hawaii's statewide supply chain, accounting for roughly ninety percent of imported and exported goods and serving as a transfer hub for nearly all goods bound for the neighbor islands. Your Committee further finds that, although Pearl Harbor and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport provide some supply-chain capacity, a natural disaster such as a hurricane that makes landfall and damages the Port of Honolulu would likely also damage those nearby alternate sites.

Your Committee supports robust planning for port enhancements, alternate supply chain configurations, and other improvements to protect the people and property of Hawaii and, through measures such as this, the resiliency of the State's maritime transportation industry.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 44 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair