STAND. COM. REP. NO. 486-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1530

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 1530 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require that an employer of firefighters maintain its fire staffing service at a level of no less than four on-duty firefighters in each company, pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or executive policy in effect on and after July 1, 2025.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Hawaii Fire Department.

Your Committee finds that fire protection services play a critical role in protecting communities and ensuring public safety. However, when fire protection services are understaffed, firefighters are forced to accept an increased level of risk to their own health and safety. This measure ensures that fire departments are adequately staffed and provided with the minimum resources necessary to reduce property damage and loss of life.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an effective date of July 1, 2026, to allow for the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations to occur, as this measure raises collective bargaining issues related to personnel.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1530, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1530, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Government Operations,

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair