STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1594

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    H.B. No. 572

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 572, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to restructure the leadership of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

 

     More specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Establishes the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency as an agency administratively attached to the Department of Defense;

 

(2)  Requires that the Administrator of Emergency Management serve as the Director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; and

 

(3)  Requires the Administrator of Emergency Management to be appointed by the Governor without the advice and consent of the Senate.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and one individual.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

 

     Your Committee finds that placing the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency within the Department of Defense for administrative purposes only will comply with the requirement established by Article V, section 6, of the Hawaii State Constitution, that permanent agencies be placed within a principal department.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Making a conforming amendment to section 26-21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to specify that the Adjutant General shall not be the director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency;

 

(2)  Specifying that the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency shall be placed within the Department of Defense for administrative purposes only; and

 

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2022.

 

     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 H.B. No. 572, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 572, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair