STAND. COM. REP. NO. 574

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 825

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 825, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to specify that the Governor's emergency powers include the ability to assume control, use, or operation of any state facility at no cost or requirement of compensation.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the League of Women Voters.

Your Committee finds that the ability to quickly scale up operations, such as processing unemployment insurance applications, and to freely use available state resources is imperative to ensuring the continued health, safety, and welfare of the State's residents and visitors. This measure will enable the State to utilize all of its resources in order to effectively and efficiently respond to the pandemic without placing an additional burden on taxpayers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 825, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 825, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair