Requesting The Office Of Planning And Sustainable Development To Convene A Working Group To Evaluate The Establishment And Administrative Placement Of An Office Of Resilience And Recovery.
Summary
HCR64 is a House Concurrent Resolution that asks the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to convene a working group to study whether Hawaii should create a permanent Office of Resilience and Recovery, and where that office should be placed administratively within state government. The resolution is framed around lessons from the Maui wildfires, citing the loss of life and extensive damage, and it references recommendations from the Hawaiʻi Climate Advisory Team calling for stronger statewide leadership and coordination on disaster resilience and recovery.
The working group would include representatives from key state agencies, county mayors, legislative appointees, and the American Red Cross of Hawaii. Its charge is to determine the principal department for the proposed office and how it should relate to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, then report findings and recommendations to the Legislature by November 30, 2025. As a concurrent resolution, HCR64 does not itself create the office or change statutes; it directs a study and recommendation process that could inform future legislation.
Impact
HCR64 does not directly amend Hawaii statutes or appropriate funds. Its practical effect is to initiate an interagency policy review that could shape future legislation or executive action on disaster resilience, recovery coordination, and emergency management structure. The resolution specifically focuses on whether a new Office of Resilience and Recovery should be established and which department should house it, including its relationship to Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and related state and county emergency-response entities.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is supportive and reform-oriented, driven by concern over the Maui wildfires and a desire to improve preparedness, coordination, and recovery capacity. The resolution cites prior advisory recommendations and presents the proposed working group as a constructive step toward clarifying responsibility for resilience planning within state government. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no additional evidence of opposition or debate in the available record.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is administrative placement: the resolution acknowledges that several existing entities already handle pieces of resilience and recovery, but says responsibility should reside clearly in one department. That creates an implicit policy question about whether the new office should be placed within an existing agency, created as a standalone entity, or integrated with Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Another possible area of disagreement is the scope of authority and coordination among state, county, and emergency-management stakeholders, though no explicit opposition appears in the provided materials.
Same As
Requesting The Office Of Planning And Sustainable Development To Convene A Working Group To Evaluate The Establishment And Administrative Placement Of An Office Of Resilience And Recovery.