STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2120

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 1332

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1332, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve the State's and counties' ability to respond to emergency situations in Hawaii by:

(1) Clarifying that the Governor's or mayors' emergency management powers must be consistent with the Hawaii State Constitution and clarifying the power of the Governor or mayors to extend or terminate a state of emergency;

(2) Clarifying the scope of the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan;

(3) Specifying the status and allowable uses of Major Disaster Fund monies;

(4) Shortening the duration of price control periods from ninety-six hours to seventy-two hours; and

(5) Defining the term "severe warning" to recognize that entities other than the National Weather Service issue warnings that may require the activation of the emergency management system.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Defense, Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, Hawai‘i Community Development Authority, and Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the amount of additional funds that may be made available solely for the purpose of matching federal disaster relief funds when funds become available to the State following a federal disaster declaration to an unspecified amount;

(2) Removing the status of certain Major Disaster Fund monies as trust funds to be deposited into a trust account of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency;

(3) Removing the appropriation for the planning and design of a new Hawaii Emergency Management Agency facility; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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 S.B. No. 1332, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1332, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair