SB141 establishes August 8 of each year as “Hawaii Disaster Drill Day” and adds a new section to chapter 127A, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The bill directs the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, working with state departments and agencies including the University of Hawaii, the Department of Education, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, to conduct disaster preparedness drills, educate the public on safety measures, and encourage residents to prepare for emergencies. It also invites coordination with federal agencies, county governments, and private businesses.
The bill is modeled in part on Taiwan’s National Disaster Prevention Day and is intended to promote regular statewide readiness for hazards affecting Hawaii, including hurricanes, tsunamis, wildfires, and volcanic eruptions. It specifies that Hawaii Disaster Drill Day is not a state holiday and takes effect on July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill would add a new statutory designation to Hawaii’s emergency management laws and create an annual preparedness observance without changing holiday status or creating a day off. It would require HIEMA to organize or coordinate drills and public education efforts each year, and it would formally involve multiple state agencies, as well as encourage participation from counties, federal agencies, and private businesses. The measure primarily affects emergency management planning, public safety outreach, and intergovernmental coordination rather than imposing penalties or regulatory requirements on private parties.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests generally favorable support for the bill. On February 10, 2025, both the Senate Transportation and Culture and the Arts Committee and the Senate Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee passed the measure unanimously, each by a 5-0 vote, and both did so with amendments. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous votes indicate broad agreement on the value of disaster preparedness and public drills.
Contention
There is little evidence of major opposition in the available record. The only visible point of potential discussion is the scope and implementation of the annual drill day, including which agencies must coordinate and how broadly the drills and public education efforts should extend to counties, federal partners, and private businesses. The fact that both committees amended the bill suggests members may have focused on refining those operational details rather than disputing the concept itself.
A resolution to direct the Clerk of the House of Representatives to only present to the Governor enrolled House bills finally passed by both houses of the One Hundred Third Legislature.
Relating to nonsubstantive additions to, revisions of, and corrections in enacted codes, to the nonsubstantive codification or disposition of various laws omitted from enacted codes, and to conforming codifications enacted by the 88th Legislature to other Acts of that legislature.