Bill Text: HI SB762 | 2021 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To State Capitol Facilities.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 16-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-03-17 - The committee(s) on LMG recommend(s) that the measure be deferred. [SB762 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2021-SB762-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
762 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO STATE CAPITOL FACILITIES.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that increasing threats to public safety have warranted increased security measures at many federal and state facilities such as capitol buildings. These security measures are designed to protect public visitors and employees at high profile buildings and include the installation of protective barriers to safely manage crowds, metal detectors and screening to prevent incidents of gun violence, and the erection of vehicular barriers to prevent incidents like the bombing of Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that occurred in 1995.
The legislature further finds that Hawaii's state capitol and the surrounding capitol district were designed over fifty years ago to stand as a proud symbol of Hawaii's state government. The design was intended to provide easy public access to elected officials, a value of great importance to our democracy. Now, ease of access must be tempered with protecting against modern threats and preserving the safety of visitors and those who work in the state capitol.
The legislature also finds that currently there are no meaningful security measures in place to restrict dangerous crowds, weapons, explosives, or vehicular access at the Hawaii state capitol. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to create reasonable preventative short-term and long-term measures to protect public safety while preserving public access at the Hawaii state capitol, rather than wait for a tragic incident and loss of life to occur before action is taken.
SECTION 2.
The department of accounting and general services, in consultation
with the legislature and any agencies responsible for security at the state
capitol and Washington Place, shall develop and implement an enhanced security
plan that:
(1) Allows for the safe management of crowds in the state capitol rotunda that may disrupt, impair, or threaten operations in the house and senate chambers;
(2) Ensures safety at the state capitol by screening visitors for weapons while preserving public access;
(3) Prevents unauthorized vehicular access to the current underground state capitol parking garage by moving public parking to a new location;
(4) Prevents surface-level unauthorized vehicular access to the state capitol and surrounding grounds while preserving the viewplanes and the historic character of the capitol district; and
(5) Includes long-term plans and designs for a secured underground public parking facility serving the state capitol and other agencies with an above-ground mall between Beretania Street, Punchbowl Street, and Washington Place to allow additional safe space for public gatherings, rallies, and events when the state capitol and grounds must be secured. This secured underground public parking facility which shall replace, in one or more phases, the unsecured above-ground parking and asbestos-laden structure currently occupied by the department of health; provided that any plans developed and implemented pursuant to this paragraph shall eliminate any elevated structures on site to prevent elevated lines of sight into Washington Place and the state capitol; provided further that any plans developed and implemented pursuant to this paragraph shall preserve and expand the viewplanes and historic character of the capitol district.
SECTION 3.
The department of accounting and general
services shall submit to the legislature a report of its findings and recommendations,
including any proposed legislation, regarding its progress on short-term and
long-term steps toward implementing the enhanced security plan, no later than
twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2022 and each
session thereafter.
SECTION 4. Section 6E-34.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (b) and (c) to read as follows:
"(b) There is established the state capitol management committee, which shall be composed of the following members or their respective designees:
(1) The governor's chief of staff;
(2) The comptroller;
(3) The director of public safety;
(4) The state
historic preservation officer;
[(4)] (5) Two members of the senate as appointed
by the president of the senate;
[(5)] (6) Two members of the house of
representatives as appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
[(6)] (7) A legislative officer of the senate
appointed by the president of the senate; and
[(7)] (8) A legislative officer of the house of representatives
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
provided that for members appointed pursuant to
paragraphs [(6)] (7) and [(7),] (8)
"legislative officer" shall have the same meaning as that term is
defined in section 88-21.
[The
chairperson of the state capitol management committee shall be elected by the
committee members.] The state
capitol management committee shall be co-chaired by a member of the house of representatives
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives from among the members
of the house of representatives appointed to the state capitol management
committee, and a member of the senate appointed by the president of the senate
selected from among the members of the senate appointed to the state capitol
management committee. The department
of accounting and general services shall provide administrative support to the
state capitol management committee; provided that the committee shall also receive
fiscal analysis support from the department of budget and finance as the
committee deems appropriate.
(c) The state capitol management committee shall
meet at times and places as specified by a call of the [chairperson] chairpersons
or a majority of the committee[; provided that the committee shall meet not
less than four times per calendar year].
The state capitol management committee [shall] may
prescribe rules, which shall not be subject to chapter 91, for its own management
and governance. [Five members of the
committee shall constitute a quorum, and a quorum] A majority of those present
may exercise all the power and authority conferred on the committee."
SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2021.
Report Title:
State Capitol; Security; Public Safety; DAGS; State Capitol Management Committee
Description:
Requires the department of accounting and general services to develop and implement an enhanced security plan for the state capitol and surrounding grounds. Amends provisions regarding the internal governance of the state capitol management committee. (SD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
