STAND. COM. REP. NO. 457-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2174

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2174, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to deter hikers from entering illegal hiking trails and to address rising search and rescue costs facing the State and counties due to increased illegal hiking traffic by requiring a government entity of the State to:

(1) Impose and collect a search and rescue fee for search and rescue expenses that result from a person's entrance on an illegal hiking trail with notice of its closure; and

(2) Submit a copy of any report or documentation of the rescue to the Department of the Attorney General.

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

Your Committee finds that searching for and rescuing hikers who enter property or trails closed to the public is a costly and dangerous undertaking for governmental entities. Your Committee believes that these governmental entities should charge a fee for the cost of the search and rescue operations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the report to the Department of the Attorney General must also include information on persons who were searched for and the circumstances surrounding the search; and

(2) 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. 2174, 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. 2174, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair