Report Title:

Leeward community economic development

 

Description:

Appropriates funds ($500,000) for grants and loans to community-based organizations on the leeward (Waianae) coast of Oahu for community economic development.

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1274

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the business community, nonprofit organizations, and other entrepreneurs, residing on the leeward (Waianae) coast of Oahu, are in urgent need of a functional, service-oriented agency that is readily accessible to provide business counseling, financial backing, and general support to foster real community-based economic development of the various products and services demonstrating and embracing Hawaii's diversified economy.

     The Hawaii community-based economic development technical and financial assistance program of the department of business, economic development, and tourism was established for this very purpose.  The legislature has authorized the Hawaii community-based economic development technical and financial assistance program to provide needed financial assistance to community-based, nonprofit organizations and cooperatives through low interest loans and grants to qualifying applicants.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the Hawaii community-based economic development technical and financial assistance program to financially assist qualifying community-based organizations on Oahu's leeward (Waianae) coast.

     SECTION 2.  Section 210D-12, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§210D-12  Priorities and preferences.  In selecting applicants for funding, the department shall make every effort to ensure that community-based economic development activities and community-based enterprises are distributed throughout the State[.] or legislatively mandated regions."

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000 for fiscal year 2007-2008, to be paid into the Hawaii community-based economic development revolving fund created in section 210D-4 Hawaii Revised Statutes, for low-interest loans and grants to qualifying leeward (Waianae) coast community-based organizations involved in the implementation of comprehensive leeward (Waianae) coast economic development activities under the Hawaii community-based economic development technical and financial assistance program.  For the purposes of this Act, the geographic region of the "leeward coast" consists of the geographic area encompassed in the city and county of Honolulu's Waianae Sustainable Community Plan.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism solely for the purposes of the community-based economic development revolving fund and for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

BY REQUEST