SB17 SD2

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the State recognizes the increasing threat of wildfires to our communities, natural resources, and economy, and that the State is committed to proactively addressing this growing challenge through a comprehensive and collaborative approach. Understanding the need for a multifaceted strategy, the legislature further finds that a working group comprised of government agencies, fire experts, economists, legal experts, industry leaders, large landowners, and stakeholders is required to find solutions that address the State's wildfire preparedness and mitigation challenges and increase the State's wildfire preparedness and mitigation practices.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Establish, and make an appropriation for, a wildfire mitigation working group; and

(2) Amend appropriations made by Act 302, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, to revise the positions funded for the office of the state fire marshal by that Act.

SECTION 2. (a) There is established within the department of law enforcement, to be administered by the office of the state fire marshal, a wildfire mitigation working group. The working group shall be comprised of subcommittees and identify clear deliverables to:

(1) Develop a system of state tax incentives, penalties, and state-level funding support for managing land to adequately reduce fire risk;

(2) Chart a plan for retrofitting unsafely designed subdivisions to have adequate evacuation routes;

(3) Chart the State's course to increase workforce development in land management and wildfire mitigation sectors;

(4) Work with industry leaders and unions to improve ignition-resistant building strategies that are both safe and cost-effective;

(5) Integrate food security and climate resilience initiatives with wildfire prevention, safety, and resilience work;

(6) Identify funding sources and launch a state-level competitive grant funding opportunity to support fuels management on private lands; and

(7) Integrate cultural stewardship and the development of certified wildfire resilience and stewardship standards that encourage good-faith compliance and responsible land management and provide clear, legally defensible guidance for the State's communities.

(b) The working group shall be comprised of the following members:

(1) The state fire marshal, who shall serve as co-chair;

(2) The director of the office of planning and sustainable development, who shall serve as co-chair;

(3) The chair of the house of representatives standing committee on water and land;

(4) The chair of the senate standing committee on water, land, culture, and the arts;

(5) The chairperson of the Hawaiian homes commission or their designee;

(6) The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources or their designee;

(7) The director of transportation or their designee;

(8) The director of taxation or their designee;

(9) The airports rescue fire chief from the airports division of the department of transportation;

(10) The chairperson of the public utilities commission or their designee;

(11) A representative from the land division of the department of land and natural resources;

(12) A representative of the state fire council;

(13) A fire protection forester from the wildfire management branch of the division of forestry and wildlife within the department of land and natural resources;

(14) An economist from the university of Hawaii economic research organization, to be selected by the executive director of the university of Hawaii economic research organization;

(15) An economist from the university of Hawaii at Manoa, to be selected by the president of the university of Hawaii at Manoa;

(16) An economist from the university of Hawaii at Hilo, to be selected by the chancellor of the university of Hawaii at Hilo;

(17) A wildfire expert from each county, to be invited by the state fire marshal;

(18) A representative of the ranching industry, to be invited by the state fire marshal;

(19) A representative of the Hawaii wildfire management organization, to be invited by the state fire marshal;

(20) A Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner who has knowledge of traditional land stewardship practices and `ike kupua that support landscape-scale risk reduction, ecological resilience, and long-term community safety, to be invited by the chairperson of the board of land and natural resources;

(21) A large landowner, to be invited by the state fire marshal;

(22) A representative of the public, to be invited by the speaker of the house of representatives; and

(23) A representative of the public, to be invited by the president of the senate.

(c) No member of the working group shall be subject to chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of that member's participation on the working group.

(d) The office of the state fire marshal shall provide administrative support as required by the working group.

(e) The working group shall submit a complete report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than thirty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2028.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the administrative expenses of the wildfire mitigation working group established by section 2 of this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the office of the state fire marshal for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. Act 302, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, is amended by amending section 18 to read as follows:

"SECTION 18. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of [~~$2,212,000~~] $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 in the following manner:

(1) For fiscal year 2025-2026:

(A) $206,352 for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position for the state fire marshal;

(B) $189,804 for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position for one deputy state fire marshal;

[~~(D)~~ ~~$160,000 for two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions for fire inspectors;~~

~~(E)~~ ~~$240,000 for three full-time equivalent (3.0 FTE) positions for fire investigators; and~~]

(D) $ for four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) positions for assistant fire marshals; and

[~~(F)~~] (E) $1,375,596 for the operations, costs, equipment, and expenses of the office of the state fire marshal; and

(2) For fiscal year 2026-2027:

(A) $214,608 for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position for the state fire marshal;

(B) $197,400 for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position for one deputy state fire marshal;

[~~(D)~~ ~~$160,000 for two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions for fire inspectors;~~

~~(E)~~ ~~$240,000 for three full-time equivalent (3.0 FTE) positions for fire investigators; and~~]

(D) $ for four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) positions for assistant fire marshals; and

[~~(F)~~] (E) $1,359,744 for the operations, costs, equipment, and expenses of the office of the state fire marshal.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of law enforcement for the purposes of this Act."

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	17
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII