STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2323

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2842

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 Water and Land and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2842 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WILDFIRE SAFETY AND PREVENTION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the Wildfire Safety Advisory Board within the Department of Land and Natural Resources to advise and make recommendations to state agencies concerning the State's wildfire safety and prevention efforts.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu Fire Department, State Fire Council, Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and one individual.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, and Public Utilities Commission.

Your Committees find that the State recognizes the increasing threat of wildfires to its communities, natural resources, and economy and that the State is committed to proactively addressing this growing challenge through comprehensive and collaborative growth. This measure will address the State's wildfire preparedness by establishing the Wildfire Mitigation Working Group to advise and make recommendations to state agencies concerning the State's wildfire safety and prevention efforts.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its contents and inserting language that:

(A) Establishes a Wildfire Mitigation Working Group to develop a State Wildfire Mitigation Plan and to advise and make recommendations to state agencies concerning the State's wildfire safety and prevention efforts, to be dissolved on December 31, 2026; and

(B) Makes an appropriation; and

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

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land 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 S.B. No. 2842, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2842, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair