STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1742-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.R. No. 98

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 Finance, to which was referred H.R. No. 98 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO ESTABLISH A SAFE PARKING PILOT PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN THEIR CARS TO PARK ON STATE LANDS DURING PROHIBITED HOURS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the Department of Transportation to establish a safe parking pilot program that allows homeless individuals living in their cars to park on state lands during prohibited hours.

For the purposes of conducting a public hearing, your Committee on Finance replaced the contents of this resolution with provisions urging the County of Maui to adopt a financially prudent budget for fiscal year 2024-2025 that maintains current operational levels except for certain mandatory or critical increases.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two members of the Maui County Council, Maui Chamber of Commerce, West Maui Taxpayers Association Inc., and two individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the County of Maui – Office of the Mayor and one member of the Maui County Council.

Your Committee finds that the August 2023 wildfires on the island of Maui destroyed the core of historic Front Street in Lahaina, Maui, and many surrounding neighborhoods, killing over a hundred people, destroying thousands of residential and commercial structures, and displacing thousands of residents.

Your Committee notes that the Maui County Mayor recently proposed a budget for fiscal year 2024-2025 reflecting an increase of $429,200,000 over the prior fiscal year, a 33.9 percent increase, while at the same time expecting $150,000,000 from the State in fiscal year 2024-2025, with more expected in the following two years, to assist with recovery efforts.

At the same time, the State has been supporting recovery efforts by diverting funding from budgeted programs, reprioritizing its current budget, and reducing budget requests of State agencies for fiscal year 2024-2025 and beyond to make more funding available to assist Maui County. The state has already dedicated over $200,000,000 for recovery efforts and is currently expecting to dedicate over $1,000,000,000 in the coming year.

Your Committee has amended this measure by adopting the provisions of the proposed draft urging the County of Maui to adopt a financially prudent budget for fiscal year 2024-2025.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 98, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 98, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair