HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

630

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO DROUGHT MITIGATION.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that a viable agriculture industry requires a steady, reliable supply of water.  However, drought conditions continue to affect farms and ranches, hampering their ability to produce quality products on a consistent basis throughout the year.

     The legislature believes that to address the harmful impact of droughts, mitigation measures laid out in the Hawaii drought plan must be implemented.  The goal of the Hawaii drought plan is to develop coordinated emergency response mechanisms while at the same time outlining steps toward mitigating the effects of future drought occurrences.  The Hawaii drought plan provides clear policies and specifies response entities to implement immediate, short-term, and long-term response measures to mitigate the impact of droughts.

     The legislature finds that in 2004, county drought committees were formed for each of the four counties of Hawaii. Each county drought committee developed a drought mitigation strategy for its respective county, with a focus on drought mitigation projects.  These county drought mitigation strategies represent the local needs and concerns of each county and are incorporated by reference into the Hawaii drought plan.

     The legislature further finds that Hawaii's changing climate requires updated mitigation strategies and planning to protect water conservation efforts and implement the Hawaii drought plan.

     In 2007, the Honorable Clift Tsuji, then chair of the House committee on agriculture, successfully sponsored drought mitigation legislation that appropriated $4,000,000 to implement the Hawaii drought plan and address the many challenges faced by Hawaii's agriculture industry in preparing for droughts.  Subsequently, in 2015, Representative Tsuji introduced legislation requesting additional funding to continue the important drought mitigation efforts and to update the Hawaii drought plan.  That legislation failed to pass.  Accordingly, the need for additional funding, as proposed by this Act, remains.

     The purpose of this Act is to provide funding to pursue drought mitigation projects and measures in each county of the State and support drought mitigation planning by updating the Hawaii drought plan through the State's commission on water resource management.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the         special fund the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for drought mitigation projects and measures in each county of the State.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the         special fund the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) permanent planner IV position within the commission on water resource management to update the Hawaii drought plan and carry out the purposes of this Act.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.
     SECTION 4.  Contractors and other third parties who receive funds under this Act may be subject to review and inspection by the department of land and natural resources, the attorney general, or the auditor.  Upon request by such agencies, the contractor or third-party shall be required to submit for review all files, records, documents, and accounting related to the use and expenditure of funds received pursuant to this Act, whether the funds were received via a contract, grant, or other agreement.

SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.



 

Report Title:

Drought Mitigation; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for county drought mitigation projects and measures.  Appropriates funds for one full-time equivalent permanent planner IV position within the Commission on Water Resource Management to update the Hawaii drought plan.  (HB630 HD1)

 

 

 

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