STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2938

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2645

S.D. 3

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to address several matters relating to fire prevention.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Provides that the State Fire Code shall constitute the minimum statewide standard for fire and life safety;

(2) Establishes the state fire and life safety special fund;

(3) Repeals statutory language that requires each county fire chief to inspect public thoroughfares;

(4) Limits fire and safety inspections at state facilities by the Office of the State Fire Marshal to a frequency of once every three years;

(5) Repeals the establishment of the State Fire Marshal Selection Commission;

(6) Requires the State Fire Marshal to be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate; and

(7) Amends Act 302, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, which relates to fire protection, by:

(A) Changing the Act's total appropriation to an unspecified amount; and

(B) Replacing appropriations for two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions for fire inspectors and three full-time equivalent (3.0 FTE) positions for fire investigators with appropriations for four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) positions for assistant fire marshals.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor and Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Your Committee finds that this measure proposes necessary changes to establish uniform fire safety standards statewide and to properly administer and enforce those standards.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing each of the fiscal year 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 appropriations for four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) assistant fire marshal positions from $400,000 to unspecified amounts; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair