HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2250

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012

H.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE EMERGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL WORKFORCE.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the collapse of national credit, housing, financial, and other market sectors has culminated in the current national economic crisis, which continues to have consequences on the local economy, including significant losses in local construction, restaurant, and other industries.  The legislature further finds that solutions for immediate relief will require unprecedented levels of cooperation between state and local governments and between public and private entities to realize bold yet productive proposals.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the establishment of an emergency environmental workforce for short-term employment for individuals who are unemployed or underemployed due to the slow economic recovery.  Individuals willing to accept the challenge of an emergency environmental workforce job will assist in the State's efforts to:

     (1)  Maintain and strengthen watersheds throughout the State;

     (2)  Eradicate the miconia plant, feral coffee trees, and other invasive plants; and

     (3)  Reduce coqui frog, coffee borer beetle, and fire ant populations.

     The legislature intends for the revenues generated by general obligation bond authorizations and appropriations from the general fund made by this Act to be released only after at least sixty-five per cent of the total appropriations from various funds made by this Act have been released.  The legislature further intends for the director of finance to have the discretion to determine when at least sixty-five per cent of the special and other fund appropriations have been made in a manner that fulfills the purpose of this Act.

     SECTION 2.  There is established the emergency environmental workforce to be attached to the research corporation of the University of Hawaii for administrative purposes.  The emergency environmental workforce shall:

     (1)  Employ as six-month contract employees approximately five hundred to seven hundred fifty individuals who were terminated from their jobs as a result of the local economic downturn;

     (2)  Supplement the State's current services being provided for the maintenance and strengthening of watersheds throughout the State, eradication of the miconia plant and other invasive plants, and the reduction of coqui frog, coffee borer beetle, and fire ant populations; and

     (3)  Coordinate its efforts with the efforts of the department of agriculture, the department of land and natural resources, and the invasive species committees of Hawaii.

     SECTION 3.  The research corporation of the University of Hawaii shall:

     (1)  Together with the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, develop a planning, administration, implementation, and evaluation strategy, including a program duration plan and a budget for contract and administrative expenses for the sums appropriated;

     (2)  Develop a recruitment and public information plan, in consultation with private employers with workforces that have been or that may be affected by layoffs resulting from the economic downturn;

     (3)  Develop a strategy for the interviewing and selection of emergency environmental workforce participants, including physical examinations as necessary to qualify applicants before final contract offers;

     (4)  Request that attorneys employed or retained by the University of Hawaii prepare, on an expedited basis, the necessary employment contracts to meet the objectives of the emergency environmental workforce;

     (5)  Submit review and assessment reports to the governor, the senate president, and the speaker of the house of representatives every sixty days for the duration of the emergency environmental workforce; and

     (6)  Undertake all other necessary activities for emergency environmental workforce development and implementation.

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the special land and development fund the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to establish an emergency environmental workforce to be administered by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act; provided that no moneys shall be expended without the prior approval of the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii.

SECTION 5.  There is appropriated out of the forest and wildlife resources fund within the special land and development fund the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to establish an emergency environmental workforce to be administered by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act; provided that no moneys shall be expended without the prior approval of the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii.

SECTION 6.  There is appropriated out of the land conservation fund the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to establish an emergency environmental workforce to be administered by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act; provided that no moneys shall be expended without the prior approval of the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii.

SECTION 7.  There is appropriated out of the water resource management fund the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to establish an emergency environmental workforce to be administered by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act; provided that no moneys shall be expended without the prior approval of the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii.

SECTION 8.  There is appropriated out of the natural area reserve fund the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to establish an emergency environmental workforce to be administered by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act; provided that no moneys shall be expended without the prior approval of the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii.

     SECTION 9.  There is appropriated out of the forest stewardship fund the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to establish an emergency environmental workforce to be administered by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act; provided that no moneys shall be expended without the prior approval of the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii.

     SECTION 10.  There is appropriated out of the pest inspection, quarantine, and eradication fund the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to establish an emergency environmental workforce to be administered by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act; provided that no moneys shall be expended without the prior approval of the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii.

     SECTION 11.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to carry out the purposes of this Act.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii; provided that no moneys shall be expended without the prior approval of the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii.

     SECTION 12.  The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary is appropriated for fiscal year 2012-2013 for the emergency environmental workforce to:

(1)  Fence lands and easements in the state conservation district to protect watershed lands; and

(2)  Mitigate invasive species.

     The appropriation made for the capital improvement projects authorized by this section shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal biennium for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30, 2014, shall lapse as of that date.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the research corporation of the University of Hawaii; provided that no moneys shall be expended without the prior approval of the pacific cooperative studies unit of the University of Hawaii.

     SECTION 13.  The moneys appropriated from the general fund by section 11 of this Act and the revenues derived from the general obligation bonds authorized by section 12 of this Act shall be released and expended only when at least sixty-five per cent of the moneys appropriated from funds by sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of this Act have been authorized for expenditure by the director of finance.  For the purpose of determining the monetary amount that is at least sixty-five per cent of the moneys appropriated and allotted under sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, the director of finance may aggregate the amounts authorized for expenditure from those funds.

     SECTION 14.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2030.



 

Report Title:

Environmental Workforce; Appropriation

 

Description:

Establishes the emergency environmental workforce.  Makes appropriations.  Effective July 1, 2030.  (HB2250 HD2)

 

 

 

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