STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1319-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2645

S.D. 3

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 S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 3, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRE PREVENTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the State Fire Code as the minimum statewide standard for fire and life safety;

(2) Prohibit the counties from adopting, amending, or enforcing any ordinance, rule, or code provision that is less restrictive than the State Fire Code;

(3) Establish the State Fire and Life Safety Special Fund;

(4) Repeal the requirement for each county fire chief to inspect public thoroughfares;

(5) Limit the frequency of fire and safety inspections at state facilities by the Office of the State Fire Marshal to no more than once every three years;

(6) Change the method of appointment of the State Fire Marshal from selection by the State Fire Marshal Selection Commission to appointment by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate; and

(7) Amend Act 302, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, by replacing two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions for fire inspectors and three full-time equivalent (3.0 FTE) positions for fire investigators with four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) positions for assistant fire marshals.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the State Fire Marshal and State Fire Council. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Governor; Department of Land and Natural Resources; American Institute of Architects, Hawaiʻi State Council; and Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization.

Your Committee finds that this measure would improve statutory frameworks, strengthen statewide consistency in fire and life safety standards, and more clearly align the structure and function of the Office of the State Fire Marshal with its core public safety mission. Your Committee further finds that this measure represents a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to modernizing fire safety governance in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Maintaining the existing method of appointment of the State Fire Marshal by the State Fire Marshal Selection Commission;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 3, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair