STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1692

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 513

S.D. 1

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 Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 513, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish an expeditious adjudication system for processing fireworks infractions, similar to the system for processing traffic infractions, with fines applying for violations of provisions that are not specifically provided for under the Fireworks Control Law as felonies or misdemeanors;

(2) Implement the recommendations of the 2010 Illegal Fireworks Task Force by:

(A) Raising the fireworks display permit fee from $110 to $150;

(B) Clarifying that each aerial device, display firework, or article pyrotechnic having a total weight of twenty-five pounds or less that is illegally imported, transferred, or sold constitutes a separate violation;

(C) Increasing the penalty for removing or extracting the pyrotechnic contents from any firework or articles pyrotechnic for certain uses; and

(D) Increasing the fine for certain fireworks violations from no more than $2,000 per violation to no more than $5,000 per violation;

(3) Authorize the Sheriff Division of the Department of Public Safety to enforce the Fireworks Control Law;

(4) Require the Attorney General to establish an Explosion Detection Technology Working Group to study the feasibility of purchasing and deploying explosion detection technology to assist certain county police departments in locating and responding to explosions caused by the illegal use of firearms and fireworks; and

(5) Require the Department of Public Safety to develop and implement a statewide web-based reporting tool for illegal fireworks that will provide the counties with additional data to enforce the applicable fireworks laws.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Fire Council, Hawaiian Humane Society, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 513, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair