Bill Text: HI HB903 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating To Civil Air Patrol.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-12-11 - Carried over to 2024 Regular Session. [HB903 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-HB903-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	903
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to civil air patrol.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that for over seventy‑five years, the civil air patrol has assisted emergency management agencies throughout the nation with response and recovery efforts during and after a disaster.  The civil air patrol is a non-profit organization and an auxiliary of the United States Air Force and its missions include emergency services, aerospace education, and cadet programs.  Civil air patrol members are volunteers who serve as pilots, scanners, and ground crew in fulfilling its mission.

     The legislature further finds that the civil air patrol emergency response and recovery activities have included search and rescue, damage assessments, aerial photography of impacted areas, alerts and notifications, and transportation of supplies.  Most recently, the civil air patrol conducted aerial reconnaissance of the State after the severe weather incident in December of 2021.  The photographs were instrumental in documenting the damage to roadways on the island of Maui and were included in the State's application for a federal disaster declaration.  Similar missions were conducted on the island of Hawaii during the Kilauea volcanic eruptions, and on the island of Kauai during the recent flood events.  In situations where the State is threatened by a tsunami, the civil air patrol has been called upon to alert remote areas not serviced by outdoor alert system speakers by using speakers mounted to civil air patrol aircraft.

     The legislature also finds that the Hawaii wing of the civil air patrol has conducted these activities through funding of operational expenses from the State for years.  However, that funding ceased in 2019.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to support the operational expenses of the Hawaii wing of the civil air patrol.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $150,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 to fund the operational expenses of the Hawaii wing of the civil air patrol.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of defense for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; Department of Defense; Hawaii Wing of the Civil Air Patrol; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for operational expenses of the Hawaii Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.