Report Title:

Litter Control Projects

 

Description:

Appropriates $210,000 for statewide coordinated litter control programs.

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

882

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

making an appropriation for litter control and beautification.

 

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

SECTION 1. A clean and beautiful Hawaii is of major importance in the overall economic revitalization and sustainability of the State. In 1995, an independent survey of the State measured it as seventy-five per cent litter free. Unfortunately, in that year, the state office of litter control was abolished, and litter and illegal dumping prevention and cleanup has been slipping ever since. There is a significant need to fund a coordinated statewide leadership organization that has as its mission to establish the needed public attitude changes to clean up litter, provide beautification guidelines, and solid waste initiatives in Hawaii.

Community Work Day Program is an eighteen-year old nonprofit tax exempt organization dedicated to environmental preservation, beautification, and education, and is a partnership of government, business, and community sectors. It is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., coordinating over five thousand volunteers on Maui and twenty thousand through the State and is the largest grass roots volunteer community project. Community Work Day Program serves as the statewide head of the Keep America Beautiful network of affiliates in Hawaii as well as the local affiliate on Maui. Keep America Beautiful certified affiliates are Big Island -- Keep Hawaii Beautiful, Oahu Nani 0 Waianae, Maui, Molokai, Lanai -- Community Work Day Program, pre-certified are Kauai -- Ho`olokahi and two additional Oahu start-up affiliates. Community Work Day Program, working in partnership with government, business, and community sectors, maintains an annual calendar, conducts educational projects, and directs the national Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup from March 1 to May 31 in Hawaii. Other mass cleanups include Aloha Ama in January, Keep Hawaii Beautiful in April, Litter Bugs Me in July, Get the Drift and Bag It in September, and Holiday Gift in November. The benefit of having one organization coordinate statewide implementation of this program is that it can facilitate networking and training of new and current affiliates, provide statewide campaign coordination and standardized reporting, coordinate revenues from state, federal and private sources, develop and implement service learning projects for young people in schools and the community, and send a consistent educational message statewide on litter control.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., has recognized Community Work Day Program as the State’s leader and Community Work Day Program stands ready, willing, and able to assist the State in this important health, environmental, and economic development effort. Community Work Day Program has been supported by the governor and the lieutenant governor served as honorary chairperson for the 2000 Great American Cleanup in Hawaii. Funding the training programs, community assessments, educational initiatives, and leadership functions of Community Work Day Program is essential to sending a message across the State and the nation that Hawaii stands behind the system to work for a clean, healthy, and beautiful environment.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general

revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $210,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, for the purpose of strengthening the statewide coordinated litter control and beautification campaign and provide directed funds as grants-in-aid for each island's Keep America Beautiful affiliates in their implementation of the Keep America Beautiful system in Hawaii.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of planning, economic development and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________