STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1782-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 3068

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 3068, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR WILDFIRE RECOVERY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to support the State's continued response to the August 2023 wildfires that affected the counties of Hawaii and Maui.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Human Services; Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency; Care for ʻĀina Now Coalition; Trust for Public Land; and eight individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Your Committee finds that additional funds will be needed by many state and county agencies to address the State's ongoing response to the wildfires.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting several appropriations, some of which will instead be included in the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024, while retaining a total appropriation in this measure of $459,720,000 for wildfires disaster response and recovery efforts as follows:

(A) $200,000,000 out of the State Risk Management Revolving Fund for the disbursement of insurance claim payments, subject to reporting on proceeds allocated and expenditures made;

(B) $186,160,000 in general revenues as a set-aside for wildfire recovery costs and authorization for the Governor to transfer funds to other state agencies, subject to prior notice given to the Legislature and reporting after each use of the transfer authority;

(C) $10,000,000 in general revenues to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for fire and emergency response equipment; and

(D) $63,560,000 in reimbursable general obligation bond revenue to fund capital improvement projects for the County of Maui, subject to reimbursement by the County of Maui for all interest payments on debt services of the bonds;

(2) Requiring the Governor and any department or agency that receives funds transferred by the Governor to submit financial information reports regarding the expenditures;

(3) Deleting the reauthorization of general funded capital improvement project operating appropriations as general obligation bond funded appropriations;

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

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3068, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3068, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair