STAND. COM. REP. NO. 472-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1886

H.D. 1

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. 1886 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize monies in the Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarette Program Special Fund to be administered and expended by the State Fire Council to defray the cost of statewide fire prevention, education, life safety, and preparedness programs, especially as those programs relate to youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities, including the hiring of administrative personnel.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; State Fire Council; and Honolulu Fire Department.

Your Committee finds that the State Fire Council has been historically underfunded. This measure would allow surplus monies in the Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarette Program Special Fund to be used to support vital activities of the State Fire Council.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending its preamble;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee notes that your Committee on Labor & Government Operations received testimony from the Department of the Attorney General for H.B. No. 143, Regular Session of 2023, a substantially similar measure, recommending that the functions of the State Fire Council be amended to conform with the proposed uses under the Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarette Program Special Fund. Your Committee recommends that the State Fire Council submit testimony regarding these comments to your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure.

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. 1886, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1886, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair