STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1666-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

 

RE:   H.C.R. No. 97

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Public Safety and Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 97 entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY TO CONDUCT A SYSTEMATIC, TRANSPARENT, AND DATA-DRIVEN ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE WHERE NEW WARNING SIRENS ARE NEEDED IN THE STATE, BASED ON HAZARD RISKS, POPULATION DENSITY, VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, AND OTHER RELEVANT CRITERIA,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to conduct a systematic, transparent, and data-driven assessment to determine where new warning sirens are needed in the State, based on hazard risks, population density, vulnerable populations, and other relevant criteria.

 

     The Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Aloha State Association of the Deaf, and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Disability and Communication Access Board offered comments.   

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by clarifying that vulnerable populations includes vulnerable areas in the State and vulnerable people with disabilities as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and others with access and functional needs as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

 

     Your Committees note that warning sirens are crucial to protect the public, including vulnerable people with disabilities as defined by the ADA and others with access and functional needs as defined by FEMA.  Accordingly, your Committees recommend that the locations of any new warning sirens be favorable to these individuals to ensure that everyone in the community receives the warnings about disasters that may impact the areas in which they live in a timely manner.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 97, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 97, H.D. 1.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts,

 

 

____________________________

MATTHEW S. LOPRESTI, Chair

 

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair