STAND. COM. REP. NO.  319

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1343

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 1343 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide state matching funds required to access federal grant funds that have already been awarded to establish a business recovery center within the Department of Defense.  

The Adjutant General, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency of the Department of Defense, and a concerned individual supported this measure.

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Defense was recently awarded $1,159,000 in federal funds from the United States Department of Commerce to be used for the establishment of a business recovery center.  In order to access these federal funds, State matching funds of $328,000 must also be provided.  Your Committee notes that this represents a three-fold return on the State's contribution.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the appropriation amount.

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating the $328,000 for fiscal year 2015-2016 for the purpose of matching and accessing $1,159,000 in federal funds to establish a business recovery center.

     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. 1343, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1343, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair