STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3156

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1530

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor and Technology and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1530, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require that an employer of firefighters maintain its fire staffing service at a level of not less than four on-duty firefighters in each company, for a collective bargaining agreement or executive policy in effect on and after July 1, 2025.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety; Honolulu Fire Department; and Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463, IAFF, AFL-CIO.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Collective Bargaining and City and County of Honolulu Department of Human Resources.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that firefighting staffing directly affects the delivery of fire protection services, with reduced staffing levels equating to reduced service levels. Your Committees further find that poorly staffed companies can result in an increased likelihood of property and life loss. Therefore, this measure will establish a minimum company staffing level for firefighters to reduce this risk.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a commencement date of July 1, 2028, for the minimum staffing of four on-duty firefighters within a company; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor and Technology and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1530, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1530, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor and Technology and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair