STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2146-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 17

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 17, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish and appropriate funds for the Wildfire Mitigation Working Group;

(2) Require the working group to submit a report to the Legislature;

(3) Require the Office of the State Fire Marshal to provide administrative support to the working group; and

(4) Amend an appropriation in Act 302, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, by replacing two full-time equivalent positions for fire inspectors and three full-time equivalent positions for fire investigators with four full-time equivalent positions for assistant fire marshals.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Public Utilities Commission; Hawaiian Electric; Kamehameha Schools; and The Nature Conservancy - Hawaiʻi and Palmyra. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

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. 17, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair