STAND. COM. REP. NO. 394-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2480

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. 2480 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Protect emergency responders from liability during periods of evacuation; and

(2) Provide that individuals who willfully fail to comply with predictive evacuation orders assume the risk and waive liability claims.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from seven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Association for Justice.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is highly vulnerable to disasters, including wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and severe weather. Your Committee further finds that by shifting some risk assumption to individuals who willfully fail to comply with predictive evacuation orders, this measure seeks to reduce liability for unnecessary rescues that needlessly endanger the lives of first responders.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) 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. 2480, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2480, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair