STAND. COM. REP. 2092

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2136

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2136 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish statewide public safety training academies for police, fire, and other public safety departments.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Fire Chief for the County of Hawaii Fire Department; the Chair of the Hawaii County Council; and a council member for the Hawaii County Council. Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was also submitted by the Director of Public Safety; the Chair of the State Fire Council, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; and the Fire Chief of the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety.

Your Committee finds that there is a need to establish statewide public safety training academies. Currently, firefighters, police officers, and other public safety first responders are training in different counties and programs in Hawaii. As a result, counties do not optimize their training abilities. However, the proposed statewide academies would coordinate instruction and training to ensure quality public safety employees across the State.

Your Committee has amended the bill to:

(1) Allow for the department of public safety to establish multiple statewide public safety training academies;

(2) Require the Director of Public Safety to adopt rules for establishing application fees and other rules that are consistent with the law;

(3) Require the State of Hawaii to maintain the statewide police and other public safety training academies;

(4) Delete redundant language;

(5) Add a requirement that candidates admitted to the statewide police and public safety training academy shall be at least twenty-one years old; and

(6) Delete the reference requiring the Legislature to make annual appropriations.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2136, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2136, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair