STAND. COM. REP. NO. 95

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 724

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness and Economic Development, to which was referred H.B. No. 724 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit the application of travel restrictions implemented during a state of emergency or local state of emergency to essential workers, unless the application of the travel restriction was approved by the Governor.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office; Hawaii Primary Care Association; Matson Navigation Company, Inc.; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; and Hawaii Medical Service Association. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Your Committees find that ensuring that essential workers have the ability to travel without restriction to perform their jobs safely is critical to the State's ability to maintain the operation of critical infrastructure and community lifelines. Essential workers are required to be able to perform their jobs at any given notice and any type of travel restriction on essential workers would hinder their ability to provide necessary services to residents of the State. Your Committees recognize the efforts of all the workers in the State and note that there are several other categories that should be considered essential workers.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that all health care workers, including those who work in public health, are considered essential workers for purposes of this measure;

(2) Expanding the definition of "essential worker" to include workers in the energy, agricultural or food production, and commercial maritime sectors;

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness and Economic Development that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 724, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 724, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness and Economic Development,

____________________________ SEAN QUINLAN, Chair

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair