CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 178

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1064

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1064, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Effectuate the recommendations of the "Phase 3" Forward-Looking Report by Fire Safety Research Institute regarding the August 2023 Maui wildfires;

(2) Establish the Office of the State Fire Marshal within the Department of Law Enforcement for administrative purposes; and

(3) Establish the State Fire Marshal Selection Commission.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Modifying the discretionary powers of the Office of the State Fire Marshal to include overseeing the development and maintenance of a comprehensive statewide wildfire hazard map that displays wildfire hazard zones;

(2) Providing that if a State Fire Marshal has not already been appointed by the State Fire Council by June 30, 2025, as set forth in Act 209, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024 (Act 209), the State Fire Marshal shall be appointed by the Governor from a list of three names submitted by the State Fire Council;

(3) Setting the salary of the State Fire Marshal and Deputy State Fire Marshal to be equal to the salary of the Director and Deputy Director of Human Resources Development respectively;

(4) Authorizing, rather than requiring, the Office of the State Fire Marshal to develop and administer a Community Risk Reduction Program;

(5) Deleting the Community Risk Reduction Special Fund;

(6) Specifying that if a State Fire Marshal has already been appointed by the State Fire Council by June 30, 2025, as set forth in Act 209, the State Fire Marshal Selection Commission's authority to appoint the State Fire Marshal will begin upon the expiration of the incumbent State Fire Marshal's term;

(7) Appropriating $2,212,000 in each of fiscal year 2025-2026 and fiscal year 2026-2027 for one State Fire Marshal; one Deputy State Fire Marshal; one office assistant; two fire inspectors; three fire investigators; and the operations, costs, equipment, and expenses of the Office of the State Fire Marshal;

(8) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2025; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1064, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1064, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE Chair	____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI Co-Chair
____________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO Co-Chair	____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS Co-Chair
____________________________ CHRIS LEE Co-Chair	____________________________ RACHELE LAMOSAO Co-Chair
____________________________ KARL RHOADS Co-Chair