STAND. COM. REP. NO.  224-26

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2026

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2457

      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 Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 2457 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to establish the Community Resilience Hubs Pilot Program within the University of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that with the increasing likelihood and severity of natural disasters caused by climate change, the need for emergency preparedness has become more urgent.  This measure will establish the Community Resilience Hubs Pilot Program to help the State's residents prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Establishing the pilot project within the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency rather than the University of Hawaii;

 

     (2)  Requiring the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to partner with any agency or subject matter groups that are equipped to assist communities with the planning, design, and execution of establishing their own community readiness centers or community resilience hubs;

 

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

 

     (4)  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 Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2457, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2457, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Higher Education.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair