STAND. COM. REP. NO. 652

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1021

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1021 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FUNDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to reinstate the Governor's authority to transfer funds to cope with the effects of natural disasters, for operating purposes, or to supplement the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Fire Fighter's Contingency Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Budget and Finance, and Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency.

Your Committee finds that it is not possible to foresee when a disaster or emergency will occur and, operationally, to predict the service level requirements for certain programs. These budget provisos provide the flexibility necessary for the Executive Branch to quickly respond to disaster situations or continue to provide services within the operating budget, without additional funding.

Your Committee notes that the Department of Human Services is one agency that will likely need to avail itself of the authority to be reinstated to the Governor under this measure, in order to transfer funds between program ID numbers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1021, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1021, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair