STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3179

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2696

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Government Operations and Labor and Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 2696, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a temporary Lahaina Recovery Oversight Commission (Commission) within the Department of Accounting and General Services to oversee and guide the recovery of Lahaina from the August 2023 Maui wildfires;

(2) Require the commission, with the assistance of the Office of Enterprise Technology Services to establish a website to serve as a clearinghouse for information related to the Lahaina wildfire recovery and a forum for public input;

(3) Require annual reports to the Legislature before the Regular Sessions of 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2030; and

(4) Appropriate an unspecified amount of funds for the Commission.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of the Governor, Department of Accounting and General Services, Lāhainā Strong, and Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committees find that interagency coordination is necessary to efficiently and effectively oversee the recovery and rebuilding efforts in areas devastated by the August 2023 Maui wildfires. This measure will help decrease duplicative efforts by public agencies, while ensuring that recovery, remediation, and restoration activities consider the needs of all individuals involved.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the composition of the Commission by:

(A) Adding the following voting members:

(i) A member of the Senate who represents the senate district that includes Lahaina;

(ii) A member of the House of Representatives who represents the house district that includes Lahaina; and

(B) Requiring that one of the two members of the Maui County Council be from the West Maui district;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committees note that an appropriation of approximately $250,000 to $300,000 would be necessary to implement the provisions of this measure.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Labor and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2696, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2696, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Labor and Technology,

________________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair

________________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair