STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1072

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   S.B. No. 1211

      S.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 S.B. No. 1211, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assist the State in responding to a major disaster by increasing the Major Disaster Fund expenditure ceilings.  Specifically, this measure:

(1)  Increases to $10,000,000 the respective expenditure ceilings for immediate relief of a single emergency or disaster and for obtaining matching federal disaster relief funds; and

(2)  Requires the Director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (Adjutant General) to submit a report to the Legislature within one month of any allotment or expenditure of Major Disaster Fund moneys.

The State Department of Defense, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and the State Public Charter School Commission supported this measure.
     Should the Committee on Finance further deliberate on this measure, your Committee on Public Safety respectfully requests that it consider looking to the Major Disaster Fund as a potential means of providing emergency relief to Hawaii Island public charter schools that are impacted by the Puna lava flow and require immediate funding to pay for incurred and anticipated expenses, including relocation of the campuses.  The charter school sector currently lacks funding sources that can be directed or diverted to emergency purposes.

     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 S.B. No. 1211, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair