CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 99

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

RE:    S.B. No. 1211

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1211, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE MAJOR DISASTER FUND,"

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:

     (1)  Increase the expenditure ceiling on major disaster fund monies for immediate relief as a result of any single emergency or disaster;

     (2)  Increase additional funds available for the purpose of matching federal disaster relief funds when these funds become available to the State following a presidential disaster declaration; and

     (3)  Require the Adjutant General to report to the Legislature the purpose of any allotment or expenditure of fund monies within one month of the allotment or expenditure.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the State is vulnerable to a wide range of natural and man-made hazards that may result in emergencies or disasters that are extremely costly.  The major disaster fund is used to provide immediate relief in response to an emergency or disaster in any part of the State.  However, existing law provides that the Governor may expend no more than $2,000,000 for immediate relief as a result of any single emergency or disaster and no more than $2,000,000 to match federal disaster relief funds following a presidential disaster declaration.  Implementation of this measure will authorize the Governor to expend a higher amount if required by a future emergency or disaster.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Increasing the expenditure ceiling on major disaster fund monies to $5,000,000 for immediate relief as a result of any single emergency or disaster;

     (2)  Increasing additional funds available for the purpose of matching federal disaster relief funds when these funds become available to the State following a presidential disaster declaration to $5,000,000;

     (3)  Appropriating $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2015-2016 for deposit into the major disaster fund;

     (4)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2015; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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 S.B. No. 1211, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1211, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ GREGG TAKAYAMA, Co-Chair	____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair
____________________________ SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO, Co-Chair	____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Co-Chair