STAND. COM. REP. NO. 223

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1147

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

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 S.B. No. 1147 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify that the Governor has the authority to declare a disaster emergency.

 

     This measure also requires State Civil Defense to report information on the disaster to the Governor, Legislature, and the mayor of each county after the Governor has declared a disaster emergency.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one state agency and one individual.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that providing the Governor with the power to declare a disaster emergency will help to expedite necessary actions to mitigate any damages or losses.  Your Committee further finds that requiring the Vice-Director of Civil Defense to provide certain governmental leaders with a preliminary report will assist those leaders in assessing any losses from the disaster and also help with preparations for any future disaster emergencies.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Increasing the number of days that the Vice-Director of Civil Defense has to issue a preliminary report from sixty days to ninety days;

 

     (2)  Deleting the word natural in referencing disasters; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity.

 

     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 S.B. No. 1147, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1147, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair