STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2590

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2882

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2882 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE BUILDINGS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require certain state buildings intended for use as emergency shelters and constructed on or after July 1, 2027, to be designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency and five individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services and Department of Education.

Your Committees find that, due to warmer ocean temperatures caused by climate change, the State is experiencing a significantly increased risk for powerful hurricanes. Your Committees also note that the number of adequate shelters in the State for severe storms, such as hurricanes, is limited, leaving many residents throughout the islands exposed to the extreme effects of storms. This measure will improve the State's preparedness, proactively helping to save the lives of many residents in the face of climate change-related disasters.

Your Committees acknowledge the concern raised in testimony by the Department of Accounting and General Services that public buildings currently under design will be constructed using funds that were appropriated in prior years that may not be sufficient to satisfy structural requirements needed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Your Committees also acknowledge the concerns raised in testimony by the Department of Education that, without defining structural terminology, inconsistent interpretation of requirements may result in re-work, delayed timelines, and inadequate shelters; and that a lead agency needs to be designated to coordinate and standardize efforts statewide. Therefore, amendments to this measure are necessary to address these concerns.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language clarifying that all state buildings with the intent of serving a secondary purpose as an emergency shelter shall be designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes and be used as shelters in the event of an emergency; provided that they:

(A) Are fully enclosed;

(B) Are large capacity shelters; and

(C) Will be designed, rather than constructed, on or after July 1, 2027;

(2) Inserting language to define "fully enclosed", "large capacity shelter" and "shelter";

(3) Inserting language designating the Department of Accounting and General Services as the lead agency for the purposes of enforcing the requirement in this measure in consultation with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency;

(4) Inserting language requiring the Department of Accounting and General Services to adopt rules;

(5) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

(6) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2525, to encourage further discussion; and

(7) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2882, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2882, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair

________________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair