CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 1-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1800

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1800, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE BUDGET,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate supplemental funds for the operating costs of the Executive Branch for the fiscal biennium beginning on July 1, 2023, and ending on June 30, 2025.

The biennium budget was enacted in June 2023 as Act 164, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023. A short time later and after the Legislature's Regular Session of 2023 had adjourned, Lahaina and Upcountry Maui experienced devastating wildfires and burned.

The State's financial commitment to wildfire recovery has been substantial in both services and supports that may be reimbursable by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. However, the constitutional responsibility and power to appropriate funds rests solely with the Legislature. As such, your Committee on Conference remains resolute in providing for wildfire survivors and maintaining core services and operations statewide in areas like public education, healthcare, and natural resource protection.

Fully determining the State's exposure to wildfire-related expenses remains an extremely challenging task. This challenge has been compounded by the resolution of hazard pay commitments the State must provide for dedicated public employees who provided continuous critical services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, during disasters like the Maui wildfires, the federal government often assists states in mitigating recovery costs. Reimbursements, however, are almost never immediate, and it may take several years for the State to receive these funds.

Communication, coordination, and cooperation among all branches of government will be needed in the coming days, months, and years to develop and implement solutions for survivors. Preserving, maintaining, and enhancing fundamental services are priorities of this budget.

Your Committee on Conference has approved a Conference Draft of the Executive budget that appropriates $19,023,831,466 in all funds, inclusive of $10,733,671,097 in general funds, for fiscal year 2023-2024 and $19,209,528,184 in all funds, inclusive of $10,395,945,997 in general funds, for fiscal year 2024-2025.

Operating

	Fiscal Year 2023-2024		Fiscal Year 2024-2025
	All Funds	General Funds	All Funds	General Funds
Executive Budget, Act 164,Session Laws of Hawaii 2023	$19,026,771,466	$10,736,611,097	$18,206,398,573	$9,896,004,553
Net Change	-$2,940,000	-$2,940,000	$1,003,129,611	$499,941,444
Total Appropriation	$19,023,831,466	$10,733,671,097	$19,209,528,184	$10,395,945,997

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1800, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1800, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ Chair	____________________________ KYLE T. YAMASHITA Chair
____________________________ SHARON MORIWAKI Co-Chair