STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 245
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.B. No. 1064
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 Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 1064 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor; Department of Defense; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Hawaiʻi Climate Advisory Team; Lāhainā Strong; Wildfire Safety Advocated of Waikōloa; Hawaii Insurers Council; Hawaiian Electric; Kamehameha Schools; AARP Hawaiʻi; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; State Fire Council; and Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization.
Your Committee finds that in the aftermath of the August 2023 fires on Maui, the Department of Attorney General initiated an investigation and retained the independent, third party Fire Safety Research Institute. The investigation led to three reports, the last of which, the "Phase 3 Forward-Looking Report, called for changes and improvements to the Office of the State Fire Marshall, which was recently established by Act 209, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024. This measure takes action on a number of those recommendations.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) More closely aligning the duties of the Office of the State Fire Marshal with what currently exists in statute;
(2) Requiring the Office of the State Fire Marshal to develop and administer a Community Risk Reduction Program;
(3) Establishing the Community Risk Reduction Special Fund;
(4) Requiring biennial reporting to the Legislature;
(5) Establishing an advisory board within the Office of the State Fire Marshal;
(6) Adding an appropriation in an unspecified amount for the operations and work of the Office of the State Fire Marshal;
(7) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and
(8) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1064, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1064, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,
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____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair |
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