STAND. COM. REP. NO. 413-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2516

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2516 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRE EMERGENCIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to purchase a Striker fire truck to be housed at a Department of Defense facility on Maui.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency.

Your Committee finds that there is a significant need to upgrade firefighting equipment across Hawaii. This measure will allow the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to obtain necessary equipment for addressing wildfires.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it choose to deliberate on this measure, to appropriate $1,000,000 for the Striker fire truck.

Your Committee recognizes that concerns were raised that requesting a specific type of fire apparatus without input from those responsible for using and maintaining it may be premature.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2516, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2516, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair