STAND. COM. REP. NO. 660

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 680

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 680 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELAND SECURITY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the operational infrastructure to help ensure the health and safety of the people of Hawaii.

 

Specifically, the measure:

 

     (1)  Enacts a homeland security law to establish a state homeland security office within the Department of Defense; and

 

     (2)  Authorizes the establishment of county organizations for homeland security.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Defense, State Fire Council, Kauai Fire Department, County of Hawaii Civil Defense Agency, County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety, and four individuals.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development.

 

     Your Committee finds that state departments and agencies are performing many missions and tasks to combat terrorism and support homeland security requirements without underlying statutory authority or enabling legislation.  Your Committee further finds that this measure will establish a homeland security office to provide a comprehensive program to protect our citizens, infrastructure, and government from terrorism and threat of attack.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Providing that the Administrator of Homeland Security shall be exempt from civil service under chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

 

     (2)  Deleting a reference to emergency powers of the Governor as redundant with statutory provisions in chapter 128, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

 

     (3)  Specifying that the Director of Homeland Security shall foster coordination on security matters with all nations of the Pacific region only to the extent permitted under federal law;

 

     (4)  Amending the quoted text of section 26-21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to accurately reflect the contents of that section; and

 

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

 

     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. 680, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 680, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair