STAND. COM. REP. NO.  628-08

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2664

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2664 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure public safety by clarifying the Governor's emergency powers.  Specifically, this bill:

 

     (1)  Establishes that certain provisions of the State's disaster relief chapter are operative and supersede provisions of the Civil Defense and Emergency Act in times when an emergency arises that is not considered a civil defense emergency;

 

     (2)  Allows the governor to exercise powers under the Civil Defense and Emergency Act for purposes of noncivil defense disasters only if tangible and measurable harm or damage has resulted; and

 

     (3)  Requires that any of the governor's emergency powers in force prior to the effective date of this bill expire at the end of the 2008 Regular Session unless reauthorized by the Legislature.


     The Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Department of Accounting and General Services opposed this bill.  The Department of the Attorney General offered comments.

 

     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. 2664 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair