HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
724 |
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Section 127A-13, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§127A-13 Additional powers in an emergency period[.]; limitation. (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;
(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;
(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.
(c) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, travel
restrictions implemented during a state of emergency or local state of emergency
pursuant to section 127A-14 shall not apply to essential workers unless the application
of those travel restrictions to essential workers has first been approved by the
governor. For purposes of this subsection:
"Essential workers" means:
(1) Workers to ensure
continuity of building functions, including but not limited to security and environmental
controls, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, building
transportation equipment, the manufacturing and distribution of the products required
for these functions, and the permits and inspections for construction supporting
essential infrastructure;
(2) Elections personnel
to include both public and private sector elections support;
(3) Workers supporting
the operations of the judicial system, including judges, lawyers, and others providing
legal assistance;
(4) Workers who support
administration and delivery of unemployment insurance programs, income maintenance,
employment services, vocational rehabilitation programs and services, disaster assistance,
workers' compensation insurance and benefits programs, and pandemic assistance;
(5) Federal, state,
local, tribal, and territorial government workers who support mission essential
functions and communications networks;
(6) Trade officials,
including Federal Transit Administration negotiators and international data flow
administrators;
(7) Workers who support
radio, print, internet, and television news and media services, including front
line news reporters, studio, and technicians for newsgathering, reporting, and publishing
news;
(8) Workers supporting
the United States Census Bureau;
(9) Weather forecasters;
(10) Clergy and other
essential support for houses of worship;
(11) Workers who maintain
digital systems infrastructure supporting other critical government operations;
(12) Workers who support
necessary permitting, credentialing, vetting, certifying, and licensing for essential
critical infrastructure workers and their operations;
(13) Customs and immigration
workers who are critical to facilitating trade in support of the national emergency
response supply chain;
(14) Workers at testing
and education centers for emergency medical services and all health care workers,
including those who work in public health;
(15) Staff at government
offices who perform title search, notary, and recording services in support of mortgage
and real estate services and transactions;
(16) Residential and
commercial real estate services, including settlement services;
(17) Workers supporting
essential maintenance, manufacturing, design, operation, inspection, security, and
construction for essential products, services, supply chain, and pandemic relief
efforts;
(18) Workers performing
services to animals in human care, including zoos and aquariums;
(19) Engineers performing
or supporting safety inspections;
(20) Veterinary nurses,
technicians, veterinarians, and other services supporting individuals and organizations
with service animals, search and rescue dogs, and support animals;
(21) Workers providing
dependent care services, including childcare, eldercare, and other service providers
necessary to maintain a comprehensive, supportive environment for individuals and
caregivers needing these services;
(22) Elected state and
county officials and state and county executive branch cabinet members;
(23) Workers performing
or supporting the services and operations of the energy sector;
(24) Workers in the agricultural
or food production sectors; and
(25) Commercial maritime
workers, including stevedores, longshoremen, crew members of intrastate tugs and
barges, and harbor pilots.
"Mission essential functions"
means the limited set of department and agency-level government functions that must
be continued throughout, or resumed rapidly after, a disruption of normal operations."
SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.
Report Title:
Emergency Management; Travel Restrictions; Limitation; Essential Workers
Description:
Prohibits the application of travel restrictions implemented during a state of emergency or local state of emergency to essential workers unless the application of those travel restrictions to essential workers has first been approved by the governor. Defines essential workers for this purpose. Effective 7/1/2050. (HD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.