STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1020

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 685

       H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 685, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE FIRE COUNCIL,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Allow the State Fire Council to employ an administrator and administrative assistant with specified responsibilities; and

 

     (2)  Clarify that the budget of the State Fire Council is included in the budget of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from several government entities and one community group.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

The State Fire Council, comprised of the four county Fire Chiefs, was created in 1979 to replace the State Fire Marshal's Office, which was a fully-funded state agency.  Under the present organization, the Council primarily uses county fire department personnel to accomplish council duties.  These duties include, among other things, amending and adopting the state fire code, pursuing and administering federal grants, and implementing and administering a statewide Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarette Program.  Presently, the Council's staff consists of only one part-time person funded by the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to which the Council is administratively attached.

 

In addition, the State Fire Council is a member of the State Building Code Council and participates in the state building code adoption process; coordinates statewide fire training and data collection; and corresponds with national organizations on statewide fire issues.  This measure would greatly increase the Council's productivity and benefit communities and fire departments statewide.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 685, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair