Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Great afternoon, everyone.

Happy Aloha Friday. Well, the joint committees on public safety and military affairs and energy and intergovernmental affairs, this is our 3:00pm agenda. Please come to order. Today is March 21, 2025 and we're in Conference Room 225. This hearing is also being streamed on the Hawaii State Senate's YouTube channel. Few housekeeping announcement.

In the unlikely case of technical failures, this meeting will reconvene here in Conference Room 225 on March 24, 2025 at 3:00pm for all testifiers, including those on zoom, we ask that you stand on your written testimony. If your oral testimony is different from your written testimony, the time limit for each testifier will be one minute.

The content, including the hearing notice, copies of the bills and testimony can be found on the Legislature's website. If time for misdecision making will occur after you hear from those offering testimony. First up on our list is SCR 30 Sr 16.

This is requesting the commander of Joint base Pearl Harbor Hickam to allow the Department of Parks and Recreation of the City and County of Honolulu to use the restricted vacant land on the Pearl City Peninsula for youth ball programs.

First up on our list for both of these resolutions is Larry Vera, Chair of the Pearl City Neighborhood Board. Aloha and welcome.

Well, good afternoon. Aloha Chairs Elephante, Wakai and Vice Chairs Wakai and Chang and Committee Members. I'm Larry Vera. I'm Chair of the Pearl City Neighborhood Board and I'm testifying. As for our board as a whole, we have submitted our 2025 legislative priorities, which includes to look at the feasibility of helping out our youth baseball and soccer leagues.

Every year all the coaches line up at the Pearl City Neighborhood Board to talk about that. They can't get enough space. And if they don't get down to the city in time, they can't get their reservation.

And so one of the things I looked at, you know, looking at Pearl City, we don't have a lot of vacant space, but I do know the Navy has a huge 11 acre field as you go into Pearl City Peninsula. Once upon a time it was the. It was a fuel farm.

Back in 19821 of the tanks blew up. They end up having to put PFAS on it and they've had it closed, everything. They end up leveling the whole area. They discontinued the fuel farm there. But for, for a decade that.

Thank you chair for a. I'm sorry, your time's up.

Wow, what a difference from this morning. He let Me talk all morning.

We do have your written testimony.

Thank you. Okay. I need it. Thank you.

We have Elliot Miles in support and Frank Schultz in support. That completes our list of registered testifiers. Anyone else for Ser 30 and SR 16? Okay. If not Members questions? If not, we'll move on to Our next item, SCR22.

This is requesting the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to collaborate with relevant agencies to develop initiatives and outreach programs to inform kupuna about emergency preparedness. First up on our list is Rosemary Johnson on Zoom with comments not present on Zoom Chair. Okay, thank you. Raelynn Turno Tennell in person for the Hawaii Council of Community Associations.

In support, Chair Larry Vera.

You know who I am. And the Proceed Neighborhood Board.

In our legislative priorities, we have a requirement for HYMA to be able to improve emergency preparedness for all our Kupuna and those you know, in Pearl City, we have a lot of Kupuna, and we need to make sure that the community is thinking about all of them, especially for any type of emergency disaster.

I have already emergency disaster plan for the Wild Gardens Kybee Homeowners Association. We will not leave any Kupuna behind when there's. When there's an evacuation or an emergency. So what I. I think one of the biggest things is, is we need to make sure that our fire Department knows. I learned that from this morning.

The fire Department has the listing of all our kupuna, and we continue to develop plans. And as a Commissioner, the neighborhood Commission, I'm gonna work with other neighborhood boards to be able to make sure that they're doing the same thing. That's all I got.

Thank you. And if you can just state your name for the record, please. Larry Vray. Yeah. Thank you. Okay. We also have Beverly Gotelli in support. Rowena Dagdag and DIA for Maui County Office of Aging. And support Jane Sugimura, President for the Hawaii Council of Community Associations. In support, Gary Simon, Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition.

In support, Audrey Suga Nakagawa for the AARP or AARP. You see our State Director here, you can identify yourself. Aloha.

Kealii Lopez, State Director for AARP Hawaii. On behalf of our 135,000 Members, we appreciate that you're holding this hearing. As you know from the Lahaina wildfires and the reports that came out, there were three phased reports. Talked a lot about the fact that almost two thirds of those who passed were 60 and older.

The report says nothing and provides no recommendations, though, of what one should do to help prepare kupuna for a Natural disaster.

So having a statewide approach that looks at how the state can work with community organizations because they're going to be there first to be able to have your neighbors and family Members be prepared in advance of a disaster, rather than having to figure out what you're going to do and scramble after it's all done.

Thank you so much. Available if you need me.

Thank you. Director Lopez, Colby Chalk from Alzheimer's Association of Hawaiian Support. Glenn Odoguro, Be ready. Manoa in support. Frank Schultz in support. Sarah Lenzer, Medaros in support. Barbara J. Servis, Daniel Anderson, Barbara Tatsuguchi and James Burke, all in support. That completes our list of registered testifiers for STR22. Anyone else in the audience that wishes to testify? Yes.

Please come forward in case. Sir, you didn't get a written testimony.

This. I'm just reading through oral testimony, but you can.

I said I'd do that too.

Okay. I'm sorry, but you're here, so we can take your testimony, but I don't.

Want to do the written one. I want to tell you, if you.

Can state your name for the record, please.

Sorry. Marie Sumurio, Kaneo Ikahalu Cert. I've been working with community emergency preparedness in the community for a dozen years and involving hyema and demons along with a number of other organizations. My request for the resolution was that you include the disabled citizens in this as well as the kupuna.

We had an exercise involving a disabled senior who she was blind and was able to, with training, do a cribbing exercise. I don't know if you're familiar with that. That's like lifting stuff off of somebody so they can escape. So it is an extremely important thing.

And then they should not be excluded from this type of a legislation. Instead of doing extra, extra, put it all together and get it moving. Seriously.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Anyone else on SCR22 if not Members? Questions? Yes. Senator Fukunaga.

Maybe, I don't know, Pearl City or the Kailua Kaneohi Cert or AARP. We had some form of grants in the past where I believe AARP and various agencies teamed up with community organizations to do training sessions.

And I remember we did one in Moanalua Valley that had been kind of conducted in teamwork with the Lions Club at that time. Time. But I know that in Senator Elefante's community there have been active similar types of workshops. Was that conducted through Hyema or, you know, was it a different organization? Do you know?

Whatever.

If you can come up to the mic so we can hear you, please.

Hyima has been involved in some of those, but I can't give you a specific on which ones usually. And I had that in my testimony. They usually come when invited, but sometimes they come soliciting for.

I think this is a great idea. And to the extent we have sort of been through an experience where there were organized trainings and we pulled together with a number of people, I think that's really something that we should be. Pulling together at this point, not suggesting either.

Make it part of the program.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you. Members, any other further questions? Yeah, Senator DeCorte.

For Larry, please. Hi, Larry. Thank you. And maybe the chair might be able to answer this also. But my question is relevant agencies. I know you had shared in your testimony that there is a list from HFD. I was just wondering what your perspective of relevant agencies are.

Well, I think right now, importantly, when we have a disaster, the first responders need to have that list. And for example, Pearl City would be wild district, the fire Department, police station. Of course, I learned in the hearing this morning that was one of the resources available. I haven't punched that button yet, but I will.

It just so happens next week from lessons learned from here I'm gathering next week I'm hosting Red Cross and the assert teams on my property. But it's all for Pearl City too. But we're going to put together something for the kupuna in that plan.

Great. And just a comment, if you would please include the neighborhood boards. Being a neighborhood board Member, you know how important it is to implement the neighborhood boards, get them mobilized and they can help to bring the right people to the table in that. So thank you very much, Larry. Thank you.

Lessons learned, collaboration. And as a Commissioner, I'll make sure it gets out.

Thank you. Thank you, Larry.

Thank you. Members, any other questions?

Could we ask if they can add to that?

Just with regards to that question, one of the things that we see that we're doing in working with the counties and where we'd like to have a EMA involved is we've developed a template for independent senior housing properties to create their own emergency evacuation plans. And we're doing that at the county level.

So we're eager to have Hyema do this work and see how that can all be tied in statewide, ideally with the fire marshal at some point so that it's more coordinated.

But those agencies that we see working with at the county level are everything from the emergency management folks, fire Department, the ambulance, Police Department, but also working with the what we call area Agencies on aging, which are the groups that already work in the counties that know so much about kupuna in the area and then working with nonprofits.

So it's kind of bringing that all together. So when you say related, there's definitely a good bunch.

Yeah. Thank you. And just to add to your comment, we do have people like in my community as example, Waianae, which is the driest part part of the state in 2018, we had three valleys up in flames at the exact same time.

So emergency preparedness is something that my community definitely needs and we already have people that are initiating those efforts. So just to be able to bring the right people to the table. But I think that this is great and I thank you very much for your advocacy and thank you.

I'll just add to that because I lived in Nanakuli for a long time, they have a really good robust program this well. And you're right, there's only so many ways in and out. So thank you so much for your service.

Chair, AARP. Hang on.

Senator Fukunaga, do you have any follow up questions?

Thank you. I agree with all that's going on on Big Island and when we had to do evacuations for Waikoloa fire, there's differences between the counties and this is a state deal. So I think having a unified organization, not unlike AARP might help bridge some of those gaps. Because for us it's big on civil defense.

Yes, we have our first responders, but civil defense coordinates a lot of that. And if we have Office of Aging, which is through our Parks and Rec again, there's same need, same initiatives, but it's governed by different offices at the different county level.

So there needs to be some coordination between I think AARP, where Senator Elipante is a proud Member of, he can. Be actually one day.

You can sign up early, we'll take you early.

This is something between the Senator and I all the time. I am a proud Member by the way. I think if we have an organization like yours, helping cross pollinate, coordinate type of deal, that may be helpful going forward.

That's what we're hopeful and we definitely have been working with Talmadge.

Yeah, Talmage. Good friends.

So okay, Members, any other questions for AARP or anyone else? Okay. If not, we'll move on. Our next item was deleted from our agenda STR24. So I'll turn it over to our co chair Wukai.

Okay, we're on to the next two resolutions that is set at the current resolution 8184. Excuse me. And SR 67 on our test so far list? Just one. First, on our testifiers, this we have Frank Schultz has a bit of testimony support. Rosemary Johnson might be joining us via Zoom.

Not present on Zoom Chair.

Okay, that's I all I have for those who have indicated desire to testify on these two measures. Is there anyone else wishing to provide their thoughts on these two resolutions, if not Members? Unfortunately, there's no one to ask questions of. So we're going to move on to the next two resolutions, which are SCR 112 and SR 93.

And on our testifiers list we have Frank Schultz has submitted testimony support for both these two resolutions. That's all I have for those who have indicated a desire to testify. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on these two resolutions 112 as well as SR 93, if not Members, I apologize again.

We have no one to ask questions of. So, we're going to move on to the next pair of resolutions, SCR 184 and SR 146. And in this particular case, we have again, Frank Schultz, who has submitted testimony support on both of these resolutions. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on these two resolutions, if not Members?

Again, we have no one to ask questions of. So, we're going to move on to the last two resolutions on this agenda, those being Senate Concurrent Resolution 229 and SR 205. And we have on our testifiers list Frank Schultz again as an individual. Michael Cobb has submitted testimony in opposition.

Rosemary Johnson has submitted testimony and support and might be joining us via Zoom.

It not present on Zoom chair.

Okay, and we have Larry Vera from the Pearl city neighborhood board, SCR 229. Yes, good afternoon.

Chairs, Vice chairs, the Pearl City Neighborhood Board. I'm testifying as a whole. We've submitted two resolutions over the years in regard to illegal fireworks. The Pearl City Neighborhood Board 21 supports the Honolulu Police Department coupled with state and federal agencies to integrate technology to rapidly geolocate illegal gunfire, fireworks, explosions in our neighborhoods.

The technology to detect, find, fix, locate, collect, identify and arrest criminals and other violators of our laws, employing a fully integrated system that requires funding and to be built. This technology does exist today with the military and it can be transitioned to to civil use, especially here in Hawaii.

As we continue to have more gun problems, we need to be able to put our law enforcement on them in a very timely manner. We can't wait 5 minutes, 10 minutes with a couple with drones and also situational awareness.

All our police cars, our fire trucks, everybody can have situational awareness in their vehicles to know as soon as that explosion is detected, it comes up on the display. And then the next step is they get a drone out there because the drones are faster than our police.

And then we can get the main headquarters station to be monitoring the illegal activity and then bring the patrolman. That's all I got. And I'm willing to help out whoever leads the charge here with this, but I totally support this.

Thank you, Mr. Vera We have Robert Kovaco from Chopo has submitted testimony and support, and Jody Akao has submitted testimony and support. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on these two resolutions, if not Members? Any questions for Mr. Nurey? Okay, we are moving quickly.

We take one brief moment to recess.

We're reconvening our 3pm agenda. This is the joint meetings on public safety, Military affairs and Energy and Intergovernmental affairs for 3pm agenda, Friday, March 21, 2025. We are now in decision making. First up is SCR 30, SR 16.

This is requesting the Commander of Joint Base Pearl harbor, hicam to allow the Department of Parks and Recreation of the City and County of Honolulu to use the restricted vacant land on programs. Recommendation is to pass as is any further discussion. If not, Senator Wakai for the vote. Chair votes aye.

I vote yes. Senator Fukunaga. Aye. Senator Rhoads. Senator DeCourte. Aye. Chair, your recommendation is adopted.

Thank you. Our next item is SCR 22. Oh, sorry. You have to make it for EIG.

For EIG saying recommendation. Any disposal question? If not, Senator Chang? I vote yes.

Okay. For the EIG Committee chair's recommendation on SCR 30 and SR 16 is to pass unamended, right?

Yep. Yes.

Okay. Chair. Chair Wakai. Yes. Vice Chair Chang. Aye. Senator decoit is excused. Senator Richards.

Aye.

Senator Favela? Recommendation is adopted.

Okay. Sorry about that. Okay. Next up is SCR 22. This is requesting the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to collaborate with relevant agencies to develop initiatives and outreach programs to inform Kupuna about emergency preparedness. Recommendation is to pass as is.

And in the Committee report, we're going to note also to include disabled seniors and engage with area neighborhood boards and community groups that have been doing efforts in these areas like our local certs. So we'll include that in the Committee report. So with that, recommendation is to pass as is. Any further discussion? Okay.

If not, Senator Wakai for the vote. Chair votes aye.

I vote yes. Senator Fukunaga. Aye. Senator Rhoads. Senator DeCorte.

Aye.

Chair, your recommendation is adopted. For Members of EIG, same recommendation. Any discussion? If not Senator Chang? I vote yes.

Chair's recommendation for SCR 22 and SCR-SCR 22 is to pass unamended. Noting the absence of Senator Decoit. Are there any objections or reservations seeing? None. The recommendation is adopted.

Okay. The next pair of resolutions are SCR 84 as well as SR 67. This is to better prepare us following the Maui wildfires for disasters and asking them to redo disaster drills on on Maui. So the Chair's recommendation is to pass this measure. These two measures out as they are. Any discussion? If not Senator Chang?

I vote yes.

Chair's recommendation for SCR 84 and SR 67 is to pass unamended. Of the Members present, are there any objections or reservations hearing? None. The recommendation is adopted.

Same recommendation for the Committee on Public Safety and Military affairs for SCR 84 and SR 67. Any further discussion? If not, Co-Chair. Okay. Chair votes aye.

I vote yes. Senator Fukunaga, Senator Rhoads, Senator DeCourte. Aye. Chair, your recommendation is adopted. Thank you. The next pair of resolutions are SCR 112 and SR 93. Requesting the city to light up city hall with purple lights on August 7th of each year to honor national Purple Heart day. Who can argue against Purple heart?

So I would like to pass this these two resolutions out with amendments. But the amendments are technical and non substantive. Any discussion? If not Senator Chang? I vote yes.

Chair's recommendation for SCR 112 and SR 93 is to pass with amendments of the Members present. Are there any objections to the reservations? Seeing None. The recommendation is adopted.

Okay. For the Committee on Public Safety and Military affairs, same recommendation. Any discussion? If not Co-Chair Wakai. Chair vote yes.

I vote yes. Senator Fukunaga, Senator Rhoads. Aye. Senator DeCourte. Chair, your recommendation is adopted. Thank you. The next pair of resolutions are Senate Concurrent Resolution 184 and Sr 146. This is requesting the county police departments to increase enforcement against out of state vehicles operating on public roads that have not been properly registered in the appropriate county.

The two chairs have conferred and we would like to move these two measures out as they are. Any discussion? If not Senator Chang? I vote yes.

Chairs recommendation for SCR 184 and SR 146 is to pass unamended. Of the Members present, are there any objections or reservations? Seeing none, the recommendation is adopted. Thank you.

Same recommendation for the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs. Any further discussion?

Chair? Chair.

Yes.

Comment? Just letting you know I'm going to be voting down on this one only because I'm not sure how it affects those that are part of the nation of Hawaii, Kingdom of Hawaii, the territory. Just. So until I can get more information and how this might negatively impact my community, I'm going to be voting down on this. But respectfully, thank you. Chair.

Okay, so noted. Any further discussion? Okay. If not Co-Chair Wakai. Chair votes aye.

I vote yes. Senator Fukunaga, Senator Rhoads. Aye. Senator DeCourte. No. Chair, your recommendation is. Thank you. On the last pair of resolutions are Senate Concurrent Resolution 229 and Sr 205.

And this is requesting each county Police Department to purchase and deploy explosion detection technology to locate and respond to explosions caused by the illegal use of firearms and fireworks. The two chairs have conferred. We did hear Mr. Vera's testimony, but many of your ideas and suggested amendments are actually embodied already in the language of the bill.

So the recommendation is to pass this measure out with amendments. But these amendments are technical and non substantive. Any discussion? If not Senator Chang? I vote yes.

Chair's recommendation for SCR 229 and Sr 205 is to pass with amendments. Of the Members present. Are there any objections or reservations seeing? None. The recommendation is adopted.

And same recommendation for the Committee on Public Safety and Military affairs to pass with amendments. Any further discussion? If not Co-Chair for the vote. Chair votes aye.

I vote yes. Senator Fukunaga. Senator Rose. Senator DeCourte, aye. Chair your recommendation is adopted.

This concludes our Joint Committee hearings were adjourned.