STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1984

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

 

RE:   S.B. No. 353

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 3

 

 

 

 

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

 

Madame:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 353, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Prohibit the Governor or a mayor from suspending requests for records or vital records and statistics during a state of emergency;

 

     (2)  Add a definition for "severe weather warning";

 

     (3)  Clarify the authority of the Governor and mayors during a state of emergency or a local state of emergency; and

 

     (4)  Allow the Legislature and county councils to terminate, by an affirmative two-thirds vote, a state of emergency or local state of emergency, in whole or in part, issued by the Governor or a mayor, respectively.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii; Grassroot Institute of Hawaii; Public First Law Center; and one individual.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Services and Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Information Practices.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by specifying that the Legislature or county councils may terminate an applicable state of emergency after thirty days, in whole or in part, issued by the Governor or Mayor, respectively.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 353, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 353, S.D. 2, H.D. 3.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair