Hawaii-2020-HB2331-Amended

PART I

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that disaster recovery is a complex and long-term process that involves a range of activities and many participants. Recovery begins shortly after the disaster occurs and can continue for many years. It involves short-term restoration of essential community functions and long-term resilience rebuilding. It also incorporates hazard mitigation as restoration and rebuilding take place.

State, public, and private organizations share in providing for the public's health and safety. It is essential that the response, recovery, and mitigation activities of all parties be fully aligned. The purpose of this Act is to enhance the capacity of the government, relevant agencies, and the community to recover from the impacts of disasters and build resilience and sustainability by establishing the long-term recovery authority to work with the state disaster recovery coordinator, whose position was funded through the governor's executive budget in 2019.

SECTION 2. Chapter 127A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§127A- Long-term recovery authority; general functions, duties, and powers. (a) There is established the long-term recovery authority within the Hawaii emergency management agency whose purpose is to:

(1) Recommend policies and set strategic direction for resilient recovery planning;

(2) Develop legislative recommendations to further recovery goals;

(3) Approve administrative decisions of the state disaster recovery coordinator; and

(4) Facilitate the identification, coordination, and delivery of recovery assistance to supplement resources and efforts by local governments and citizens.

(b) The long-term recovery authority shall be flexible in size and composition to meet the requirements of the situation and may integrate personnel from all relevant entities.

(d) The long-term recovery authority shall include the following members:

(1) The adjutant general, or the adjutant general's designee;

(2) The administrator of the Hawaii emergency management agency, or the administrator's designee;

(3) The Federal Emergency Management Agency's state coordinating officer, or the officer's designee for active disasters;

(4) The director of finance, or the director's designee;

(5) The mayors of each county, or the mayors' designees; and

(6) The directors, or their designees, of state departments or agencies for each of the primary agencies responsible for recovery support functions.

(e) In addition to the members listed in subsection (d), the state disaster recovery coordinator may seek participation or input from members of the public, experts in applicable fields, other government officials, and others as necessary.

(f) At the discretion of the state disaster recovery coordinator, members of the long-term recovery authority who are not employed by the State, including individuals whose participation is requested pursuant to subsection (e), may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in carrying out their duties.

(g) The long-term recovery authority shall not be subject to the requirements of part I of chapter 92.

§127A- State disaster recovery coordinator; general functions, duties, and powers. The state disaster recovery coordinator shall report to the governor and support and convene the long-term recovery authority, and shall:

(1) Establish and maintain recovery priorities and strategies on behalf of the governor;

(2) Convene and provide executive level coordination for local, state, and federal agencies working on disaster recovery programs and budgets;

(3) Facilitate disaster recovery collaboration between local, state, and federal governments; the private sector; and voluntary, faith-based, and community organizations;

(4) Serve as a state point of contact with federal agencies through the supervising federal recovery officer;

(5) Develop a budget and operating procedures to fulfill duties and administer the long-term recovery authority; and

(6) Review recovery plans, policies, and decisions as required by this section and submit a report to the governor, the legislature, and the counties no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2021 and each year thereafter."

SECTION 3. Section 127A-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

""Recovery support functions" refers to those functions comprising the coordinating structure for key functional areas of assistance in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Disaster Recovery Framework, namely: community planning and capacity building; economic; health and social services; housing; infrastructure systems; and natural and cultural resources."

PART II

SECTION 4. The office of the governor shall establish two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) planner positions, without regard to chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to support the state disaster recovery coordinator and the long-term recovery authority in carrying out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the purposes of this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii emergency management agency for the purposes of this Act.

PART III

SECTION 6. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 5 shall take effect on July 1, 2020.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2331
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII