STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2291

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2924

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 Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2924 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriate funds for planning, design, and construction for a warehouse to expand the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency's ability to store and deploy supplies and equipment to all counties within the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency and Hawaii Food Industry Association.

Your Committee finds that it is vitally important for the State always to be prepared for a natural or human-caused disaster or emergency and to be able to respond in an effective, timely manner. Your Committee further finds that providing the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency with the ability to store and deploy life-saving supplies and equipment to all counties within the State in the event of a natural or human-caused disaster or emergency on one or more of the Hawaiian islands is crucial to ensure the continued safety and security of the State's residents. This measure will ensure the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency has the resources to plan, design, and construct a warehouse to store emergency supplies in each county.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2042, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2924, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2924, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

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GLENN WAKAI, Chair