STAND. COM. REP. NO. 139-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2174

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2174 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEARCH AND RESCUE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the State to impose and collect a fee for search and rescue expenses that result from a person's entrance on an illegal hiking trail with notice of its closure.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Law Enforcement and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that the State and counties incur significant costs associated with the rescue of hikers who choose to go on illegal hikes and often ignore prohibitionary access signs. Each rescue occurrence can cost several thousand dollars or more, and nearly one thousand rescues are made every year in the State. This measure would deter hikers from entering illegal hiking trails and address the high costs associated with conducting search and rescues.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring a government entity of the State to submit a copy of any report or documentation of the rescue to the Department of the Attorney General;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2174, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2174, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair