STAND. COM. REP. NO.  279

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1677

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1677 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRE SAFETY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to improve public safety by establishing the State Wildland-Urban Fire Safety Board (Board) to set standards to protect lives, homes, and businesses from wildland fires.

 

     The Department of Public Safety, State Fire Council (Council), and Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) supported the intent of this bill.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Removing the provisions establishing the Board;

 

(2)  Repositioning the Council within DLNR and out of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations;

 

(3)  Providing the existing Council with the responsibility of setting statewide fire safety standards to protect lives, homes, and businesses from wildland fires;

 

(4)  Requiring annual reports to the Governor and the Legislature on any federal funds the Council has applied for, received, or expended;

 

(5)  Requiring the counties to adopt a wildland-urban interface code set by the Council; and

 

(6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1677, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1677, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair