HI HB954

Exempts five categories of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HEMA) positions from civil service requirements: executive officer, public information officer, civil defense administrative officer, branch chiefs, and emergency operations center state warning point personnel.

Allows state warning point personnel exemption only when the HEMA director determines that normal civil service recruitment procedures would result in delay or noncompliance.

Justifies exemption by citing insufficient staffing levels and applicant pools for critical HEMA positions, stating that exemption will enable faster hiring and improved retention of qualified emergency management professionals.

Adds new paragraph (32) to Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 76-16(b) establishing the civil service exemptions for specified HEMA positions.

Takes effect upon approval with no sunset date specified for the exemption.