HB 361 Summary

• Requires Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to adopt National Incident Management System (NIMS) standards for all incident management and emergency response operations statewide and mandates NIMS-compliant training for all response personnel.

• Establishes mandatory after-action reviews for all significant emergency incidents or exercises within six months, with findings published on a public portal and protected from civil litigation if conducted in good faith.

• Requires development and management of position task books aligned with NIMS National Qualification System for 27 Incident Command System positions and 20 emergency operations center positions, with a centralized public registry of certified personnel.

• Mandates use of standardized Incident Command System forms (ICS Forms 202-215) across all emergency operations center formats and requires annual NIMS compliance audits with public reporting.

• Requires state and county emergency management agencies to pursue five-year accreditation through the Emergency Management Accreditation Program covering planning, hazard analysis, resource management, training, and communications; expands qualifications for state and county emergency management administrators.