HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
103 |
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
S.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO EMERGENCY POWERS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Section 127A-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
"(c) It is the intent of the legislature to provide
for and confer comprehensive powers for the purposes stated herein. This chapter shall be liberally construed to
effectuate its purposes; provided that this chapter shall not be construed as
conferring any power or permitting any action [which] that is
inconsistent with the Constitution [and], laws of the United States,
or the Constitution of the State of Hawaii, but, in so construing this chapter,
due consideration shall be given to the circumstances as they exist from time
to time. This chapter shall not be
deemed to have been amended by any act hereafter enacted at the same or any
other session of the legislature, unless this chapter is amended by express reference."
SECTION 2. Section 127A-13, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§127A-13 Additional powers in an emergency period. (a) In the event of a state of emergency declared by the governor pursuant to section 127A-14, the governor may exercise the following additional powers pertaining to emergency management during the emergency period:
(1) Provide
for and require the quarantine or segregation of persons who are affected with
or believed to have been exposed to any infectious, communicable, or other
disease that is, in the governor's opinion, dangerous to the public health and
safety, or persons who are the source of other contamination, in any case where,
in the governor's opinion, the existing laws are not adequate to assure the
public health and safety; provide for the care and treatment of the persons;
supplement the provisions of sections 325-32 to 325-38 concerning compulsory
immunization programs; provide for the isolation or closing of property which
is a source of contamination or is in a dangerous condition in any case where,
in the governor's opinion, the existing laws are not adequate to assure the
public health and safety, and designate as public nuisances acts, practices,
conduct, or conditions that are dangerous to the public health or safety or to
property; authorize that public nuisances be summarily abated and, if need be,
that the property be destroyed, by any police officer or authorized person, or
provide for the cleansing or repair of property, and if the cleansing or repair
is to be at the expense of the owner, the procedure therefor shall follow as
nearly as may be the provisions of section 322-2, which shall be applicable;
and further, authorize without the permission of the owners or occupants, entry
on private premises for any such purposes;
(2) Relieve
hardships and inequities, or obstructions to the public health, safety, or
welfare, found by the governor to exist in the laws and to result from the
operation of federal programs or measures taken under this chapter, by
suspending the laws, in whole or in part, or by alleviating the provisions of
laws on such terms and conditions as the governor may impose, including
licensing laws, quarantine laws, and laws relating to labels, grades, and
standards;
(3) Suspend
any law that impedes or tends to impede or be detrimental to the expeditious
and efficient execution of, or to conflict with, emergency functions, including
laws which by this chapter specifically are made applicable to emergency
personnel; provided that any suspension of law shall be no broader and for no
longer than required for expeditious and efficient execution of emergency functions,
and any suspension of laws shall identify the sections of laws suspended and, for
each section, shall specify the emergency functions facilitated with justification
based on protecting the public health, safety, and welfare, and, in particular,
careful regard to the public's right to know under chapters 92 and 92F;
(4) Suspend
the provisions of any regulatory law prescribing the procedures for out-of-state
utilities to conduct business in the State including any licensing laws
applicable to out-of-state utilities or their respective employees, as well as
any order, rule, or regulation of any state agency, if strict compliance with
the provisions of any such law, order, rule, or regulation would in any way
prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action of a state utility in coping with
the emergency or disaster with assistance that may be provided under a mutual assistance
agreement;
(5) In
the event of disaster or emergency beyond local control, or an event which, in
the opinion of the governor, is such as to make state operational control
necessary, or upon request of the local entity, assume direct operational
control over all or any part of the emergency management functions within the
affected area;
(6) Shut
off water mains, gas mains, electric power connections, or suspend other
services, and, to the extent permitted by or under federal law, suspend
electronic media transmission;
(7) Direct
and control the mandatory evacuation of the civilian population;
(8) Exercise
additional emergency functions to the extent necessary to prevent hoarding,
waste, or destruction of materials, supplies, commodities, accommodations,
facilities, and services, to effectuate equitable distribution thereof, or to
establish priorities therein as the public welfare may require; to investigate;
and notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, to regulate or prohibit, by
means of licensing, rationing, or otherwise, the storage, transportation, use,
possession, maintenance, furnishing, sale, or distribution thereof, and any
business or any transaction related thereto;
(9) Suspend
section 8-1, relating to state holidays, except the last paragraph relating to
holidays declared by the president, which shall remain unaffected, and in the
event of the suspension, the governor may establish state holidays by
proclamation;
(10) Adjust
the hours for voting to take into consideration the working hours of the voters
during the emergency period, and suspend those provisions of section 11-131 that
fix the hours for voting, and fix other hours by stating the same in the
election proclamation or notice, as the case may be;
(11) Assure
the continuity of service by critical infrastructure facilities, both publicly and
privately owned, by regulating or, if necessary to the continuation of the
service thereof, by taking over and operating the same; and
(12) Except as provided in section 134-7.2, whenever
in the governor's opinion, the laws of the State do not adequately provide for
the common defense, public health, safety, and welfare[,];
investigate, regulate, or prohibit the storage, transportation, use,
possession, maintenance, furnishing, sale, or distribution of, as well as any
transaction related to, explosives, firearms, and ammunition, inflammable
materials and other objects, implements, substances, businesses, or services of
a hazardous or dangerous character, or particularly capable of misuse[,];
or obstructive of or tending to obstruct law enforcement, emergency management,
or military operations, including intoxicating liquor and the liquor business;
and authorize the seizure and forfeiture of any such objects, implements, or
substances unlawfully possessed, as provided in this chapter.
(b) In the event of a local state of emergency
declared by the mayor pursuant to [[]section[]] 127A-14, the
mayor may exercise the following additional powers pertaining to emergency
management during the emergency period:
(1) Relieve
hardships and inequities, or obstructions to the public health, safety, or
welfare, found by the mayor to exist in the laws of the county and to result
from the operation of federal programs or measures taken under this chapter, by
suspending the county laws, in whole or in part, or by alleviating the
provisions of county laws on such terms and conditions as the mayor may impose,
including county licensing laws[,] and county laws relating to labels,
grades, and standards;
(2) Suspend
any county law that impedes or tends to impede or be detrimental to the
expeditious and efficient execution of, or to conflict with, emergency
functions, including laws which by this chapter specifically are made applicable
to emergency personnel; provided that any suspension of law shall be no broader
and for no longer than required for expeditious and efficient execution of emergency
functions, and any suspension of laws shall identify the sections of laws suspended
and, for each section, shall specify the emergency functions facilitated with
justification based on protecting the public health, safety, and welfare, and,
in particular, careful regard to the public's right to know under chapters 92
and 92F;
(3) Shut
off water mains, gas mains, electric power connections, or suspend other services;
and, to the extent permitted by or under federal law, suspend electronic media
transmission;
(4) Direct
and control the mandatory evacuation of the civilian population; and
(5) Exercise
additional emergency functions, to the extent necessary to prevent hoarding,
waste, or destruction of materials, supplies, commodities, accommodations,
facilities, and services, to effectuate equitable distribution thereof, or to
establish priorities therein as the public welfare may require; to investigate;
and any other county law to the contrary notwithstanding, to regulate or
prohibit, by means of licensing, rationing, or otherwise, the storage, transportation,
use, possession, maintenance, furnishing, sale, or distribution thereof, and
any business or any transaction related thereto."
SECTION 3. Section 127A-14, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§127A-14 State of emergency. (a) The
governor may declare the existence of a state of emergency in the State by
proclamation if the governor finds that an emergency or disaster has occurred
or that there is imminent danger or threat of an emergency or disaster in any
portion of the State.
(b) A mayor may declare the existence of a local
state of emergency in the county by proclamation if the mayor finds that an
emergency or disaster has occurred or that there is imminent danger or threat
of an emergency or disaster in any portion of the county.
(c) [The] Except as provided in subsections
(e) and (f), the governor or mayor shall be the sole judge of the existence
of the danger, threat, or circumstances giving rise to a declaration of a state
of emergency in the State or a local state of emergency in the county, as
applicable. This section shall not limit
the power and authority of the governor under section 127A-13(a)(5).
(d) A [state of emergency and a] local
state of emergency shall terminate automatically sixty days after the issuance
of a proclamation of a [state of emergency or] local state of emergency[,
respectively,] or by a separate proclamation of the [governor or]
mayor, whichever occurs first.
(e) A proclamation of a state of emergency shall
terminate upon the earliest of the following:
(1) Automatically, sixty
days after the issuance of the proclamation of a state of emergency;
(2) By the date that
is less than sixty days as specified in the proclamation of a state of emergency;
or
(3) By a separate and
subsequent proclamation of the governor specifying another termination date within
the sixty-day period identified in paragraph (1);
provided that upon a request made by the governor
to the legislature no less than twelve days before the expiration of the proclamation,
the legislature may by concurrent resolution adopt an extension of the state of
emergency to a date certain or deny any request for an extension of the state of
emergency; provided further that if the legislature fails to take action on the
governor's request by a concurrent resolution before the expiration of the state
of emergency, the state of emergency shall automatically be extended for sixty days.
(f) A separate proclamation by the governor for a state of emergency arising
from the same emergency or disaster in which a previous emergency proclamation expired
may be authorized for a period of up to sixty days upon request of the governor
and adoption of a concurrent resolution by the legislature."
SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Report Title:
Governor's Emergency Powers; Proclamation; State of Emergency; Automatic Termination; Extension; Reauthorization; Concurrent Resolution
Description:
Clarifies that the powers granted for emergency purposes shall not be inconsistent with the state constitution. Provides parameters for the duration of suspension of laws and requires justification for the suspension. Requires approval of the legislature by concurrent resolution to extend to a date certain, or deny the extension of, a proclamation of a state of emergency timely requested by the governor beyond sixty days of its issuance, unless the legislature fails to take action, in which case the state of emergency is automatically extended for sixty days. Allows the authorization of the issuance of a separate proclamation arising from the same emergency or disaster as a previous proclamation that expired, upon request of the governor and adoption of a concurrent resolution by the legislature. (SD1)
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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.