STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 688
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.B. No. 1001
H.D. 1
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1001 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS RELATED TO THE MAUI WILDFIRES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and one member of the Maui County Council. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Tax Foundation of Hawaii.
Your Committee finds that this measure establishes the Maui Wildfires Settlement Trust Fund to provide timely and fair compensation to victims of the devastating Maui wildfires of August 8, 2023. The Trust Fund is designed to settle claims related to property damage, personal injury, emotional distress, and economic loss, with contributions from the State and other entities like Maui County and utility companies. The goal is to offer an alternative to lengthy litigation, expedite compensation, and ease the burden on the judicial system, while fostering community recovery. The State will contribute $807,500,000 for fiscal biennium 2025-2027 to the Trust Fund, which will be managed by the Attorney General, with regular legislative oversight to ensure transparency and efficient use of the funds.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the appropriation to unspecified amounts;
(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and
(3) 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 appropriation amount of $400,000,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026 and $407,500,000 for fiscal year 2026-2027.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1001, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1001, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,
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____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair |
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