STAND. COM. REP. NO. 626-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2292

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2292, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to convert temporary special project positions created for Federal Emergency Management Agency–funded disaster recovery operations into permanent positions exempt from civil service, subject to certain limitations.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Defense and Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's emergency management responsibilities require a stable, well-trained workforce capable of maintaining continuity through prolonged recovery operations that frequently span many years. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency's reliance on temporary special project positions threatens institutional knowledge and staffing stability, particularly given federal funding disruptions, leadership turnover, and shifting Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Guard Bureau priorities. Your Committee believes that converting these positions into permanent exempt positions will preserve critical expertise, strengthen long‑term operational capacity, and ensure the State remains prepared for all‑hazard emergencies.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that at least thirty percent of the special projects positions shall be transitioned to civil service no later than July 1, 2031;

(2) Specifying that if an incumbent is transferred to a civil service position, the employee shall not experience a loss in position, rights and benefits, and salary; and

(3) 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 Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2292, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2292, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair