CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 93

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1102

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1102, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE AIRCRAFT RESCUE FIRE FIGHTING UNIT,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to specify the appointment processes and terms for the Fire Chief of the Hawaii State Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Unit of the Airports Division of the Department of Transportation.

Your Committee on Conference finds that existing state law does not articulate the term duration and term limits for the appointed Chief of the State Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Unit. Your Committee on Conference further finds that it is necessary to correct the vagueness in the statute pertaining to this critically important position by clarifying the appointment processes and terms of service.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring, rather than authorizing, the Director of Transportation to appoint the Fire Chief of the Hawaii State Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Unit from a list of qualified candidates submitted for consideration by the State Fire Council, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate;

(2) Changing the number of qualified candidates submitted on the list from five to three;

(3) Deleting language that would have required the Director of Transportation to give strong consideration to and prioritize those candidates;

(4) Making it effective upon its approval; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1102, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1102, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ DARIUS KILA Co-Chair	____________________________ CHRIS LEE Chair
____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS Co-Chair	____________________________ BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE Co-Chair
	____________________________ STANLEY CHANG Co-Chair