HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE HAWAII CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION'S SUPPORT FOR THE
   DESIGNATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL GUARD RAPID
   ASSESSMENT AND INITIAL DETECTION TEAM IN HAWAII TO ASSIST
   THE STATE IN RESPONDING TO NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL, OR CHEMICAL
   THREATS.



 1       WHEREAS, the state of Hawaii is the primary port of entry
 2   into the United States for the Pacific and Asian areas; and
 3   
 4       WHEREAS, the state of Hawaii is the site of numerous
 5   national and international events that draw people from all
 6   over the world; and
 7   
 8       WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu was among the
 9   first twenty-seven cities named to receive federal assistance
10   for training and equipment to respond to terrorist acts and
11   weapons of mass destruction; and
12   
13       WHEREAS, the state of Hawaii is severely isolated and
14   response from rapid assessment and initial detection (RAID)
15   teams and other federal agencies stationed on the mainland
16   United States would be untimely and result in potentially
17   greater public impact; and
18   
19       WHEREAS, the state of Hawaii was not among the ten states
20   selected to receive one of the ten initial full-time national
21   guard RAID teams in FY1999; and
22   
23       WHEREAS, the United States Department of Defense is
24   planning to select five additional states for fielding five
25   additional national guard RAID teams in FY2000; and 
26   
27       WHEREAS, the recent anthrax hoaxes in Honolulu have
28   highlighted the critical need for the full capabilities of a
29   national guard RAID team; now, therefore,
30   
31       BE IT RESOLVED: by the House of Representatives of the
32   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
33   of 1999, that Hawaii's congressional delegation is urged to
34   vigorously pursue Hawaii's selection among the five additional
35   RAID teams to be named for FY2000; and 
36   

 
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                                  H.R. NO.53            
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be
 2   delivered to the State Department of Defense, and the members
 3   of Hawaii's congressional delegation.
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 7                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________