Lawmakers reached a compromise this week on two key bills that would fund Maui's recovery from the August fires.
Senate Bill 582 would provide another $297 million for displaced Maui residents living in hotels.
The measure also provides the state's $65 million contribution to the One ʻOhana victim settlement fund. The fund would pay out families of those who were killed or seriously injured in the wildfires.
Recipients of the fund would not be able to file lawsuits against any contributing entity including the initial supporters: the state, Maui County, Hawaiian Electric and Kamehameha Schools.
SB 582 would also allow the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency to keep Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements for future costs related to Maui recovery.
"I know there are a lot more costs that potentially could arise, but I think we wanted to just make sure in the record that it's known that these are the numbers that were provided by the governor. And that's the best estimate that we have at this time, and that's reflected in the bill," said state Sen. Troy Hashimoto of Maui.
The other measure, Senate Bill 3068, would set aside $186 million for the state’s response to the Maui wildfires and mitigation efforts.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen wrote to lawmakers last week asking for adjustments to the measure.
He wanted them to appropriate $75 million for the county to spend on recovery efforts, and to remove a provision that would require the county to reimburse the state on bond interest payments.
Those requests did not make it into the latest version of the bill. The measure passed out of conference committee and will next be up for a final vote in both chambers.
