STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3241

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1949

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1949, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) 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; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the development of the wildfire susceptibility and vulnerability maps.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committee finds that following the August 2023 Maui wildfires, there is a greater need to protect the State's people and natural resources from wildfire hazards. Wildfire vulnerability maps identify potential wildfire hazards to assist in the development of adaptation policies to prevent the disastrous impacts of future wildfires. Further, data from wildfire vulnerability maps will provide emergency management officials and first responders with tools needed to develop mitigation strategies such as forest management, creation of defensible space, and development of greenbelts. Therefore, this measure will provide the State with guidance on future land use policies to reduce the impacts of wildfires statewide.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1949, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1949, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

________________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair