STAND. COM. REP. NO. 31,30
Honolulu, Hawaii
APR 0 3 2024
RE: S.R. No. 85
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety
and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred
S.R. No. 85 entitled:
"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING ALL HIGH-OCCUPANCY PUBLIC
BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED AFTER JANUARY 1, 2025, TO BE DESIGNED
TO WITHSTAND CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANES AND TO SERVE AS
SHELTERS IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request all
high-occupancy public buildings constructed after January 1, 2025,
to be:
(1) Designed to withstand category five hurricanes as
determined by wind zone maps; and
(2) Used as shelters in the event of an emergency.
Your Committees received comments on this measure from the
Department of Accounting and General Services.
Your Committees find that the State is vulnerable to
catastrophic natural disasters, including hurricanes, that can
devastate communities. Historically, the State's two defenses
against hurricanes have been its cool seas that slow and weaken
hurricanes and strong trade winds that tear hurricanes apart;
2024-2499 SR SSCR SMA.docx
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 STAND. COM. REP.
Paqe 2 ✓vJO
however, climate change is not only increasing the frequency and
strength of hurricanes worldwide but also warming the seas and
weakening trade winds, further increasing the vulnerability of the
State. As such, improved emergency preparedness is of paramount
importance. This measure requests that certain public buildings
be designed for stronger resiliency to expand the number of
available shelters in the State, thereby increasing the protection
of Hawaii's people.
Your Committees acknowledge the concerns raised by the
Department of Accounting and General Services that the design
process for buildings to be constructed after January 1, 2025, is
likely to have been completed, and that amending the designs of
these and other projects that are under design or considered for
appropriations to comply with this measure would require a higher
budget than previously appropriated or estimated. Your Committees
further acknowledge that this measure does not define "high-
occupancy public buildings", and it would not be unreasonable to
interpret the term to include privately constructed high-occupancy
buildings available to the public and federally constructed high-
occupancy buildings. Therefore, this measure needs to be amended
to address these matters.
Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:
(1) Clarifying that the measure applies to all high-
occupancy state and county buildings, the design of
which commences on or after July 1, 2025, rather than
all high-occupancy public buildings constructed after
January 1, 2025;
(2) Inserting language requesting that these buildings not
only be designed but also be constructed to withstand
category five hurricanes;
(3) Inserting language that defines the term "high-occupancy
state and county building";
(4) Amending its title to reflect its amended purpose; and
(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the
purposes of clarity and consistency.
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 STAND . COM. REP . NO. f <9
Pacre 3
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety and
Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this
report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R.
No. 85, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form
attached hereto as S.R. No. 85, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committees on Government
Operations and Public Safety
and Intergovernmental and
Military Affairs,
ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair
2024-2499 SR SSCR SMA docx
 The Senate
Thirty-Second Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Government Operations
GVO
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date: ,
GVo/ psm
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to: ___________________________________
The Recommendation is:
__ Pass, unamended .^Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311_______________ 2310________ 2313
Members Aye Aye (WR) Nay Excused
MCKELVEY. Angus L.K. (C)
GABBARD. Mike (VC)
SAN BUENAVENTURA. Joy A.
WAKAI. Glenn
AWA. Brenton
TOTAL
Recommendation:
1^ Adopted __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature:
Distribution^ 9 Original Yellow Pink Goldenrod
( Tildwith Committee Report Clerk's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measure per Record of Votes
Revised: 12/27/23
 The Senate
Thirty-Second Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs
PSM
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Ref^ral: Date:
02] The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to: ___________________________________
The Recommendation is:
__ Pass, unamended Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311_______________ 2310_________2313
Members , Aye(WR) Nay Excused
WAKAI. Glenn (C)
ELEFANTE. Brandon J.C. (VC)
FUKUNAGA. Carol
RHOADS. Karl
AWA. Brenton
z
TOTAL X
Recommendation: / L /
\Z Adopted __ NotAdopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature;^^^^^-^
Distribution: Original 1 Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report fClert's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one meBSd^ per Record of Votes
Revised: 01/09/24