STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2469

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2107

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2107 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a Disaster Planning and Preparedness Consumer Advisory Board to review existing and develop new policies and plans that address the needs of the elderly and disabled members of the community in the event of a man-made or natural disaster, and to make an appropriation therefor.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Department of Defense, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, Lanakila, ADA Coordinator, Kauai County; County of Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs, and the Maui County Executive on Aging.

 

     Your Committees find that a major deficiency exists in the State's disaster planning and preparedness for older and disabled individuals.  The recent events of Hurricane Katrina and September 11th forced our communities to recognize the extreme vulnerability of these two populations.

 

     Your Committees further find that a substantial portion of the older and disabled population in Hawaii are socially or geographically isolated and not served by community agencies.  These individuals are particularly vulnerable in disaster situations because they often require special transportation services, have critical medical and pharmaceutical needs, and have difficulty communicating due to cultural differences and language barriers.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing the disaster planning and preparedness consumer advisory board and the appropriation therefor;

 

     (2)  Adding to the purpose section references to the ongoing work of the Interagency Workgroup for the Emergency Preparedness of People with Disabilities and Special Needs in addressing disaster relief;

 

     (3)  Adding an appropriation of $1,000,000 for the Interagency Workgroup to implement outreach programs to inform the general public, particularly the elderly, disabled, and infirm populations of the availability of disaster relief services in the event of a natural or man-made disaster; and

 

     (4)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purpose of consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2107, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2107, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair