STAND. COM. REP. NO. 428

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 346

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 346 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISASTER PREPAREDNESS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to identify certain evacuation routes;

 

     (2)  Prohibit the planting of large trees along evacuation routes;

 

     (3)  Require the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to identify existing large trees along evacuation routes and trim, spray, or remove the trees if the trees have the potential to obstruct the evacuation route; and

 

     (4)  Appropriate funds to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that in preparation for a natural disaster, every second of potential evacuation time makes a difference in protecting the lives of the State's residents.  Your Committee further finds that large trees along evacuation routes have the potential to obstruct these roads for residents during an evacuation and prevent emergency response vehicles and personnel from returning to an evacuation zone following a disaster.  This measure ensures that evacuation routes are clear and free of obstruction to allow for quick evacuation and response in case of an emergency.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying the definition of "evacuation route" to specify that only highways under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation may be identified as evacuation routes; and

 

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 346, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 346, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair