STAND. COM. REP. NO. 324-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1949

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water & Land and Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 1949 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE GENERATION OF WILDFIRE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPS FOR HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the University of Hawaii to establish and implement a two-year program to develop web-GIS wildfire susceptibility and vulnerability maps for the State to determine which communities, landscapes, buildings, and infrastructure are most vulnerable to future wildfires.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System; one member of the Honolulu City Council; and one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committees find that the information provided through wildfire susceptibility and vulnerability maps would benefit public health and safety.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that this measure is a matter of statewide concern;

(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 Committees respectfully request your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2024-2025.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Higher Education & Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1949, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1949, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water & Land and Higher Education & Technology,

____________________________ AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair