HB 572 Summary

• Removes the adjutant general as director of the Hawaii emergency management agency, allowing the adjutant general to focus solely on the Department of Defense.

• Establishes the Hawaii emergency management agency within the Department of Defense for administrative purposes only, with the administrator of emergency management serving as the agency director.

• Requires the governor to appoint the administrator of emergency management, who must have at least three years of experience leading emergency management efforts at local, state, or federal level.

• Makes the administrator of emergency management report directly to the governor rather than to the adjutant general, establishing independent chain of command for emergency management operations.

• Takes effect July 1, 2022, with the current administrator remaining in position until a new administrator is appointed under the new process.