SB 1379 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.

Summary

Establishes the Community Readiness Centers Program to be implemented and administered by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Establishes the Community Readiness Centers Special Fund to fund the Community Readiness Centers Program. Renames the Environmental Response, Energy, and Food Security Tax to the Environmental Response, Energy, Food Security, and Resilience Tax and directs a portion of the tax into the Community Readiness Centers Special Fund. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates moneys to acquire lands for community readiness centers and for an emergency operations center. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Last action Mar 21, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB1379_SD1 → SB1379_SD2 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill was significantly expanded to add an emergency operations center alongside community readiness centers, rename the environmental tax to include 'resilience,' and allocate specific tax percentages to fund both initiatives. The changes address long-standing facility needs for emergency management agencies while creating a dedicated funding stream for disaster preparedness infrastructure.

Scope change

The bill now includes provisions for a new state emergency operations center in addition to community readiness centers, expanding the scope from just community support facilities to include critical state-level emergency infrastructure.

SCOPE

Added provisions to establish a new state emergency operations center to replace outdated facilities, including requirements for solar power and battery storage systems.

FISCAL

Renamed the environmental response, energy, and food security tax to include 'resilience' and added specific tax allocations to fund both community readiness centers and the new emergency operations center.

Changed the effective date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2077, which appears to be a clerical error that should be corrected to 2027.

REQUIREMENT

Added new requirements for community readiness centers to meet International Code Council 500 standards capable of withstanding 250 mph winds or Category 5 hurricanes.

Added requirements for community readiness centers to be co-located with emergency operations centers and located outside areas vulnerable to natural disasters.

TIMELINE

Added a requirement for the Hawaii emergency management agency to submit a detailed report to the legislature by the 2026 regular session.

SB1379_HD1 → SB1379_SD1 · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands Hawaii's emergency preparedness framework by establishing a new Community Readiness Centers program to provide shelter, supplies, and medical care during disasters. It creates a dedicated special fund for this program and modifies the existing environmental response tax to include fossil fuels, directing a portion of those tax revenues to fund the new centers. The legislation also renames the existing tax to include 'resilience' and sets a future effective date of July 1, 2077.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope from general emergency preparedness to specifically include a new program for community readiness centers with defined construction standards, site selection criteria, and maintenance requirements. It also broadens the tax base to include fossil fuels in addition to petroleum products.

SCOPE

Establishes a new Community Readiness Centers program to be administered by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, including specific requirements for site identification, construction standards (including hurricane resistance), and maintenance through existing partnerships.

FISCAL

Creates a new Community Readiness Centers Special Fund within the state treasury to finance the program, including site acquisition, construction, and ongoing maintenance.

Modifies the environmental response tax to rename it as the 'Environmental Response, Energy, Food Security, and Resilience Tax' and expands its application to include fossil fuels (measured in British thermal units) in addition to petroleum products.

Allocates 3 cents per barrel of petroleum tax and 0.5 cents per million British thermal units of fossil fuel tax to the new Community Readiness Centers Special Fund.

REQUIREMENT

Requires community readiness centers to meet International Code Council 500 standards to withstand 250 mph winds or Category 5 hurricanes, and mandates solar and backup battery storage systems at all sites.

Establishes a selection criteria matrix in consultation with the Hawaii Earthquake and Tsunami Advisory Committee to identify geographic areas where centers can withstand natural disasters.

Requires the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to submit a detailed report to the legislature by 2026 covering timelines, funding sources, partnerships, and projected amounts.

TIMELINE

Sets the effective date of the Act to July 1, 2077, which appears to be a placeholder or error as this is over 50 years in the future.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 21, 2025

Committee

Reported from PBS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1431) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on PBS recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Belatti, Hashem, Ichiyama, Lamosao, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto, Shimizu; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to PBS, FIN, referral sheet 19

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 309) in amended form (SD 2).

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 11 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kim, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Kidani, Lee, C..

upper

Feb 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-28-25 10:35AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 7, 2025

Committee

Reported from PSM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 84) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on PSM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in PSM were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Elefante, Fukunaga, Rhoads, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Wakai.

upper

Jan 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee on PSM will reconsider its previous decision on 01-31-25 and will hold a public decision making on 02-03-25 3:15PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on PSM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in PSM were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Elefante, Wakai, Fukunaga, Rhoads, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Jan 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on PSM has scheduled a public hearing on 01-31-25 3:10PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Committee

Referred to PSM, WAM.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors