Bill > SB679

This bill addresses the increasing hurricane risk in Hawaii by appropriating funds for hurricane shelter improvements. The legislature finds that climate change has shifted hurricane patterns, with warmer seas causing more frequent and intense hurricanes near Hawaii, potentially leading to super category five hurricanes occurring as often as once a year by 2080. Currently, Hawaii lacks adequate hurricane shelters, with existing refuge areas unable to withstand even category two hurricanes and insufficient capacity to protect the expected number of people during a hurricane. The bill allocates funding for the Office of the Governor, in collaboration with the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, to strengthen existing hurricane shelters and develop new shelters capable of withstanding category five hurricanes. The appropriation covers fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, reflecting the legislature's perceived moral obligation to protect current and future residents from increasingly severe hurricane threats. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and aims to address the critical infrastructure vulnerability of Hawaii's current shelter system.

Government Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=679&year=2025