STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1660

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 806

H.D. 1

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 806, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREWORKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys to the Department of Law Enforcement to conduct sting operations on Oahu to enforce fireworks laws.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Ohana Unity Party/Kingdom of Hawaiian Islands and four individuals.

Your Committee recognizes that effective enforcement actions are necessary to stop the public safety threat posed by illegal fireworks. Your Committee also recognizes that the Department of Law Enforcement has requested the following appropriations:

(1) For an explosives and firearms laboratory on Oahu, $2,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027;

(2) For a new Explosive Enforcement Section within the Department's Criminal Investigation Division:

(A) $5,042,937 for fiscal year 2025-2026, including:

(i) $101,064 each for six (6.0) exempt investigator V positions;

(ii) $109,308 for one (1.0) exempt investigator VI position;

(iii) $45,216 for one (1.0) account clerk III position;

(iv) $581,000 for motor vehicles;

(v) $2,169,923 for other equipment; and

(vi) $916,440 for other expenses; and

(B) $2,292,014 for fiscal year 2026-2027, including the same amounts requested for the prior fiscal year for the investigator V and VI positions, the account clerk III position, and other expenses; and

(3) For a fireworks program to provide educational campaigns for public safety and awareness of fireworks through advertising and promotional videos, $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting unspecified appropriations to the Department of Law Enforcement to establish:

(A) An explosives and firearms laboratory on Oahu;

(B) A new Explosive Enforcement Section within the Department's Criminal Investigation Division, including unspecified appropriations for six full-time equivalent (6.0 FTE) exempt investigator V positions, one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) exempt investigator VI position, and one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) account clerk III position; and

(C) A fireworks program to provide educational campaigns for public safety and awareness of fireworks through advertising and promotional videos; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 806, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 806, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair