Report Title:

Nuisance Seaweed Removal

 

Description:

Allows the director of public safety, with the approval of the governor, to enter into an agreement with the mayor of a county to use inmate labor from a community correctional center to remove nuisance seaweed from the shoreline and nearshore waters of the State.

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

880

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO THE REMOVAL OF NUISANCE SEAWEED.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that inmate labor has been used on the island of Maui since 1848 for such purposes as: destroying and combating the spread of the gorse plant pest; completing the Maui belt road; connecting the Kahakuloa and Honokahao Roads; providing labor for reforestation and watershed protection projects; and constructing and maintaining flumes, water lines, reservoirs, roads, and trails in the Waiakamoi water reservation. In addition to building roads urgently required for the growth of Maui and not within the financial capabilities of the county government, these public service projects helped to train and return to the community many heavy equipment operators.

The legislature also finds that there is an urgent need to remove nuisance seaweed from the shoreline and nearshore waters of Maui. Because of the continuous and labor-intensive nature of this work, cost is understandably a major concern and possibly contributes to the unwillingness of state and local governments to work together to address this critical problem. Consequently, the purpose of this Act is to allow the director of public safety, with the approval of the governor, to enter into an agreement with the mayor of the county of Maui to use inmate labor from the Maui community correctional center to remove nuisance seaweed from the shoreline and nearshore waters of the island.

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the director of public safety, with the approval of the governor, may enter into an agreement with the mayor of a county to use inmate labor from a community correctional center to remove nuisance seaweed from the shoreline and nearshore waters of the State, subject to the following conditions:

(1) The mayor of the county shall agree to pay:

(A) The cost of the inmates' labor, at the prevailing rate paid to other inmates;

(B) The cost of guarding and supervising inmates, at the rate paid to other guards and supervisors; and

(C) The cost of feeding and transporting the guards and inmates;

(2) The director of public safety, with the assistance of the chairperson of the board of land and natural resources, shall train the inmates in the use of appropriate equipment, including tools and machinery;

(3) The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources shall furnish all ocean-going equipment, including tools and machinery, needed to safely remove nuisance seaweed from the nearshore waters;

(4) The mayor of a county shall furnish all land-based equipment, including tools and machinery, needed to safely remove nuisance seaweed from the shoreline;

(5) The director of public safety shall make a detailed report to the Hawaii paroling authority on the behavior and character of each inmate involved, including any skills, knowledge, and abilities acquired by the inmate; and

(6) The director of public safety and the chairperson of the board of land and natural resources shall furnish appropriate vehicles, including boats, needed to transport guards, supervisors, and inmates to and from work sites.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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