Makes an appropriation for the Weed and Seed Hawaii program. (SD1)

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The Weed and Seed program is a United States Department of Justice initiative that is administered locally by the United States Attorney’s Office. Initiated in 1992, the strategy currently includes more than 249 sites in 226 cities across the country.

Weed and Seed is a collaborative strategy among law enforcement (federal, state and city) agencies, social service agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations and residents to reclaim, restore, and rebuild communities. The four key elements to the Weed and Seed program are (1) law enforcement; (2) community policing; (3) prevention, intervention and treatment programs; and (4) neighborhood restoration.

Weed and Seed works with local law enforcement to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in targeted neighborhoods by "weeding" out the criminal element in the community. Community policing involves having police officers work closely with community residents to develop solutions to violent and drug related crimes. The next step is to "seed" the community with human services that include prevention, intervention treatment, and neighborhood revitalization.

The legislature finds that the Weed and Seed program has been successful since its inception in the Kalihi-Palama/Chinatown area of downtown Honolulu as a Weed and Seed site. Since the beginning of the program, the legislature finds that crime in that area has been significantly reduced. The legislature finds that the program’s success warrants its expansion into other communities.

SECTION 2. (a) Weed and Seed, chaired by the U.S. Attorney shall partner with a private nonprofit corporation eligible for tax exempt status in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for the purpose of the nonprofit entity serving as a fiscal agent. The private nonprofit corporation shall be organized to:

(b) No powers or duties as assigned to the private nonprofit corporation within this Act shall be construed to designate the private nonprofit corporation as a state agency or public entity.

SECTION 3. (a) To successfully effectuate this Act, $350,000, shall be appropriated for fiscal year 2002 for the purpose of establishing and supporting a statewide collaboration to reclaim, restore and rebuild communities.

(b) Weed and Seed shall submit an annual report to the governor and the legislature, twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session, that describes the activities and accomplishments of the collaboration, fund balances and expenditures, and the purpose of the expenditures.

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