STAND. COM. REP. NO. 345

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 457

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 457 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase disaster preparedness by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, to establish a pilot program to retrofit various Department of Education buildings to withstand a category five hurricane; and

(2) Appropriating funds for the pilot program.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Department of Education, and O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i supported this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the various Department of Education buildings under the pilot program shall be retrofitted to withstand a category three hurricane with sustained winds of one hundred eleven to one hundred twenty-nine miles per hour on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, rather than a category five hurricane;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion on this measure; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 457, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 457, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair