STAND. COM. REP. NO. 458

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1159

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. 1159, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL HARBORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require masters or persons in charge of vessels to follow an order by a harbor master to evacuate a commercial harbor during emergencies;

(2) Establish higher penalties for noncompliance with evacuation orders; and

(3) Require fines collected for violations to be paid into the Harbor Special Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaiʻi Harbors Users Group.

Your Committee finds that during times of emergency, it is essential that commercial harbor users evacuate the State's commercial harbors when ordered to do so by the harbor master.

Your Committee notes the concerns raised in written testimony that smaller vessels may face danger if required to evacuate and be forced out into the open sea.

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. 1159, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair