HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2026

 

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY

Rep. Della Au Belatti, Chair

Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto, Vice Chair

 

Rep. Mark J. Hashem

Rep. Justin H. Woodson

Rep. Linda Ichiyama

Rep. Garner M. Shimizu

Rep. Dee Morikawa

Rep. Kanani Souza

Rep. Mahina Poepoe

 

 

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

DATE:

Friday, February 6, 2026

TIME:

10:15 a.m.

PLACE:

VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE

Conference Room 411

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

 

 

 

Click here to submit testimony and to testify remotely or in person.

 

A live stream link of all House Standing Committee meetings will be available online

shortly before the scheduled start time.

 

Click here for the live stream of this meeting via YouTube.

 

 

 

A G E N D A

 

HB 2290

Status

RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.

Establishes the Administrator of the Hawai`i Emergency Management Agency as the Deputy Director of Emergency Management within the Department of Defense, under the direction of the Adjutant General, and clarifies the position's reporting structure and duties.  Requires the Commission on Salaries, pursuant to section 26-56, HRS, to include the Deputy Director of Emergency Management in its recommendations for executive branch salary levels.

 

PBS, LAB, FIN

HB 2581

Status

RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Clarifies the types of events that constitute disasters and emergencies for the purposes of emergency management.

 

PBS, JHA, FIN

HB 2554

Status

RELATING TO SEARCH AND RESCUE.

Establishes, within the Office of the Governor, the Office of the State Search and Rescue Coordinator to review, assess, coordinate, prepare, and manage plans and resources for search and rescue operations statewide.  Sunsets on      .  Approprites moneys.

 

PBS, JHA, FIN

HB 2439

Status

RELATING TO SEARCH AND RESCUE.

Establishes the Office of the State Search and Rescue Coordinator within the Office of the Governor.  Provides for the authority and duties of the State Search and Rescue Coordinator.  Designates participating agencies and their duties with regard to state search and rescue operations and training.  Establishes the Search and Rescue Special Fund.  Requires reports to the Legislature.  Appropriates funds.

 

PBS, JHA, FIN

HB 2443

Status

RELATING TO DISASTER SERVICES.

Integrates the needs of individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs into emergency planning, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities.  Establishes a Disability Integration Specialist position, to be located in the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, who shall provide programming support for disability community projects that promote accessibility, inclusion, and equity in disaster management.  Appropriates funds.

 

PBS, FIN

HB 2622

Status

RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS.

Appropriates funds for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to increase access to bilingual resources and services for residents with limited English proficiency.

 

PBS, FIN

HB 2498

Status

RELATING TO CARE HOMES.

Requires and appropriates funds for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to establish a Central Oahu Care Home Community Resilience Pilot Program to assist eligible care home facilities to implement structural and operational resilience improvements.  Requires a report to the Legislature.

 

PBS, HSH, FIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW

 

Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.  Testimony received after this time will be stamped late and left to the discretion of the chair to consider.  While every effort will be made to incorporate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed, may not be processed.

 

Testimony submitted will be placed on the legislative website.  This public posting of testimony on the website should be considered when including personal information in your testimony.

 

The chair may institute a per-testifier time limit.

 

Committees meeting in the morning must adjourn prior to the day's Floor Session.  Therefore, due to time constraints, not all testifiers may be provided an opportunity to offer verbal comments.  However, written submissions will be considered by the committee.

 

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Click here for a complete list of House Guidelines for remote testimony.

 

FOR AMENDED NOTICES:  Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are bolded.

 

For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk at (808) 586-9425 ext. 69428.

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________________

Rep. Della Au Belatti

Chair