STAND. COM. REP. NO.  496-24

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2024

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2696

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Water & Land and Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2696 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAHAINA WILDFIRE RECOVERY,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to establish the Lahaina Recovery Oversight Commission within the Department of Accounting and General Services to oversee, report on, and guide the efforts taken to rebuild Lahaina, Maui, from the damage caused by the August 8, 2023, wildfire.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of the Governor; Office of the Mayor of the County of Maui; one member of the Maui County Council; Lāhainā Strong; and Maui Chamber of Commerce.

 

     Your Committees find that establishing the Lahaina Recovery Oversight Commission to oversee the recovery process, understand the entirety of the recovery, accept input from the public, and provide a public-facing entity for recovery efforts will help to ensure that the recovery efforts consider the needs of all individuals involved.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Adding the State Disaster Recovery Coordinator as a nonvoting member of the Lahaina Recovery Oversight Commission;

 

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

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2696, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2696, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water & Land and Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair

 

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair