STAND. COM. REP. NO. 136-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1902

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 Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1902 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Clarify that the Governor's and mayors' emergency management powers shall be consistent with the Hawaii State Constitution;

(2) Clarify the scope of the comprehensive emergency management plan;

(3) Clarify the powers of the Governor and mayors to extend or terminate a state of emergency or local state of emergency, respectively; and

(4) Shorten the duration of price control periods from ninety-six hours to seventy-two hours in a state of emergency or local state of emergency.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency; Hawaiʻi Association of REALTORS; and Retail Merchants of Hawaii. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that the coronavirus pandemic and 2023 Maui wildfires provided valuable lessons and opportunities to improve the State's and counties' emergency management plans and practices. Your Committee further finds that the lessons learned can be applied through the improvements to the emergency management laws and practices proposed by this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment 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. 1902, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1902, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair