CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 108

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

RE:    H.B. No. 1343

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1343, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to improve economic recovery in Hawaii after a natural disaster, particularly for businesses, by appropriating funds to meet the matching requirement for federal funds awarded to establish a Business Recovery Center within the Department of Defense.

     A business recovery center is an online website where businesses and government agencies collaborate before, during, and after a natural disaster.  Some of the activities of a business recovery center include distributing federal disaster program information, establishing information channels to allow the private sector to access information including the status of utilities and roads, allowing the private sector to post information about operating hours during and after disasters, and acting as a portal to post requests for proposals so local businesses can bid on contracts during and after disasters.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the establishment of a business recovery center in Hawaii would help businesses, their employees, and the overall economy of Hawaii recover after a natural disaster.

     Your Committee on Conference also notes that the appropriation authorized by this measure for the establishment of a business recovery center within the Department of Defense is necessary to receive a federal match of $1,159,000 for this initiative.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Appropriating $328,000 for fiscal year 2015-2016 for the establishment of a business recovery center within the Department of Defense; and

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2015.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1343, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1343, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair	____________________________ DEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, Co-Chair
____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Co-Chair	____________________________ GREGG TAKAYAMA, Co-Chair
____________________________ BREENE HARIMOTO, Co-Chair	____________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Co-Chair