HB1835

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1835
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to distribution management.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that in 2019, program requirements for the Emergency Managing Performance Grant were updated to require that recipient's emergency operations plan include a distribution management plan. As the primary state agency responsible for emergency management, the Hawaii emergency management agency annually maintains the Hawaii State Distribution Management Plan, with the objective to establish and maintain an emergency distribution network to provide critical supplies to counties. Under the current plan, various forecast advisories and conditions for natural and mand-made occurrences are utilized as the primary means for indications and warnings to begin plan implementation. However, noticeably absent from the list of incident types is wildfires. The legislature believes that in the aftermath of the Lahaina wildfire and the overall rise in disasters occurring throughout the State in recent years, consideration should be given to updating this list to include all types of foreseeable disasters that could impact the State.

The legislature further finds that the Lahaina wildfire and its devastating impact on the community underscore the critical need for an effective and efficient statewide distribution management plan. While existing frameworks have served their purpose to some extent, the recent Lahaina wildfires have certainly demonstrated a need to shore up gaps in distribution management and assess areas for improvement, such as language access and animal welfare. The effectiveness of the State's disaster relief efforts hinges on a robust, transparent, and accountable distribution management plan that is continuously being reviewed by pertinent stakeholders.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish the distribution management advisory board to develop and advise on the statewide distribution management plan.

SECTION 2. Chapter 127A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§127A- Distribution management advisory board; established. (a) There is established the distribution management advisory board within the agency for administrative purposes. The advisory board shall be subject to chapter 92.

(b) The advisory board shall serve in an advisory capacity to the agency. In this role, the board shall:

(1) Develop, review, and propose amendments to the statewide distribution management plan;

(2) Advise on resource allocation; and

(3) Submit findings and recommendations to the legislature, as applicable, twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2025 immediately following the advisory board's review of the statewide distribution management plan and every four years thereafter.

(c) The distribution management advisory board shall consist of nine members to be appointed without regard to section 26-34 as follows:

(1) The administrator of the Hawaii emergency management agency, who shall serve as the chairperson;

(2) The director of health;

(3) One member appointed by the governor;

(4) One member representing a nonprofit organization, to be appointed by the president of the senate;

(5) One member representing a public business, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and

(6) The administrator or director of each county emergency management agency for the city and county of Honolulu, and the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui.

(d) Nongovernmental members appointed to the advisory board pursuant to subsections (c)(2), (3), and (4) shall serve for a term of four years. Members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the performance of their duties.

(e) The advisory board shall not adopt any decision that would jeopardize the receipt of any form of federal funding or engage in any activity that could jeopardize the receipt of federal aid or assistance."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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