STAND. COM. REP. NO. 7-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1415

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1415 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THREAT ASSESSMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a program within the Hawaii State Fusion Center to train, establish, and operate threat assessment teams, including for educational institutions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii State Fusion Center, and Honolulu Police Department. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that it is important to be proactive with efforts to keep the community safe from violence and potential acts of violence by engaging in threat assessment actions and protocols. Creating a team of diverse individuals with various skillsets will help identify, assess, and manage potential threats before they occur. Your Committee believes that having a program that allows the State to take preemptive measures against any type of threat can improve the State's ability to protect its residents and visitors.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Education and State Public Charter School Commission to vet education threat assessment team members for suitability to receive protected health information, educational records, and criminal history information, in consultation with the Hawaii State Fusion Center;

(2) Amending its purpose section to clarify that threat assessment teams work with state and county emergency management partners, where appropriate;

(3) Changing the effective date to 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 record of votes of the members of your Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1415, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1415, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Higher Education & Technology.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair