Public Safety committee passes bills on National Guard, emergency preparedness and veterans; all measures reported favorably

At its afternoon session on Jan. 31, 2025, the Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs completed decision-making on a group of bills relating to the Hawaii National Guard, emergency preparedness and veterans services. All five measures on the committee’s agenda were reported favorably to the next stage; several passed with technical or drafting amendments.

Key outcomes:

- SB1381 (Hawaii National Guard): Passed with technical amendments. Multiple Guard representatives stood on written testimony in support. The committee adopted drafting changes before recording its vote.

- SB1382 (Hawaii National Guard): Passed as introduced. Brig. Gen. Walter R. Ross Jr., director of joint staff, and the adjutant general, Steven F. Logan, registered support; the Honolulu Police Department’s captain Thomas Chang testified in support as well.

- SB1379 (Emergency Preparedness): Passed with technical amendments. Testimony included department comments and support from the adjutant general.

- SB609 (Office of Veteran Services): Passed with amendments. Committee instructions included blanking out appropriation language on page 2, line 5 and changing the effective date (the committee’s recorded amendment changes the effective date to July 1, 2077 in the motion), along with other technical drafting changes.

- SB1377 (Veteran Cemeteries): Passed with technical amendments. The director of the Office of Veteran Services, John P. Alomodin, and the adjutant general provided support on the record.

Votes and procedure: Committee roll calls for each bill recorded no opposition during the PSM session. For each measure the chair and vice chair recorded aye votes; Senators Fukunaga, Rhoads and at least one other senator present also recorded aye votes. Each motion met the committee’s simple-majority threshold and was adopted.

Why it matters: collectively these bills address statutory and administrative changes for the Hawaii National Guard, statewide emergency-preparedness authorities and veteran services and cemeteries. Several measures will require follow-up administrative actions by the Department of Defense, the Office of Veteran Services and other agencies named in the bills.

Next steps: bills reported out of committee will follow the Senate’s calendar for further floor action or referral, and any appropriation language will be reflected in fiscal materials as the session proceeds.