STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2786

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2502

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2502, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE GENERATION OF WILDFIRE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPS FOR HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase the State's capacity to mitigate wildfire risks.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the University of Hawaii to establish and implement a two-year program to generate web-GIS wildfire susceptibility and vulnerability maps for use by the State to determine which communities, landscapes, buildings, and infrastructure are most vulnerable to future wildfires; and

(3) Appropriates moneys for the program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii and Hawai`i Forest Industry Association.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committee finds that making wildfire susceptibility and vulnerability maps available will help decision-makers identify the areas that are most susceptible to wildfire hazards and prioritize those areas for targeted risk-reduction strategies. Your Committee further finds that wildfire vulnerability maps can help guide future zoning rules and other land use policies to reduce the impacts of wildfires on communities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Correcting an internal cross-reference;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(3) Making a technical nonsubstantive amendment for purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 S.B. No. 2502, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2502, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair