STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1018

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1102

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1102, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE AIRCRAFT RESCUE FIRE FIGHTING UNIT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish that the Chief of the State Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Unit of the Airports Division of the Department of Transportation shall serve not more than three terms of four years each; and

(2) Require the Director of Transportation to appoint the Chief from a list of three qualified candidates submitted for consideration.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation.

Your Committee finds that clarity on term lengths, limits, and appointment procedures are critical to the efficient, transparent selection and service of the Chief of the State Aircraft Rescue Fighting Unit. This Unit is instrumental to public safety and should therefore implement best practices in sustaining the Chief position. This measure resolves ambiguity in existing law by establishing that the appointed Chief of the State Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Unit shall serve not more than three four-year terms.

Your Committee has amended this measure by specifying that the State Fire Council shall submit the list of qualified candidates for the appointment for Chief of the State Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Unit to the Director of Transportation.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1102, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1102, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair