HB 673 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Summary

Amends chapter 127A, HRS, to clarify state and county authority. Prohibits the Governor or a mayor from suspending requests for public records or vital specifics during a state of emergency. Adds definition of the term "severe warning". Allows the Legislature and county councils to terminate a state of emergency, in whole or in part, issued by the Governor or a mayor, respectively. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 13, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB673 → HB673_HD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Hawaii's emergency management laws to clarify the powers of the governor and mayors during emergencies, restrict the suspension of public records requests, and establish clearer procedures for declaring and terminating states of emergency. The changes aim to improve transparency, ensure accountability, and provide specific guidelines for emergency responses while protecting citizens' rights to access public records.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of emergency management authority by adding new powers for governors and mayors, including control over utilities, mandatory evacuations, and regulation of essential supplies, while also adding oversight mechanisms for terminating emergency declarations.

REQUIREMENT

Added prohibition on suspending public records and vital records requests during emergencies, ensuring citizens can still access government information even during crises.

Modified emergency termination procedures to require legislative or county council votes (two-thirds majority) to end emergency declarations, preventing unilateral extensions.

Added requirement that emergency law suspensions must identify specific sections, justify the suspension, and specify which emergency functions are facilitated.

DEFINITION

Added new definition for 'severe warning' to clarify when emergency powers can be triggered by weather and geological threats.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new emergency powers for governors including shutting off utilities, mandatory evacuations, regulating essential supplies, and taking control of critical infrastructure.

Added new emergency powers for mayors mirroring many governor powers at the county level, including utility control and evacuation authority.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 13, 2025

Committee

Reported from PBS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 546) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on PBS recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Belatti, Iwamoto, Hashem, Ichiyama, Lamosao, Morikawa, Poepoe, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Woodson.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to PBS, JHA, referral sheet 2

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors