Makes an appropriation for the Weed and Seed Hawaii program. (SD2)

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 two hundred forty-nine sites in two hundred twenty-six cities across the country.

The weed and seed program is a collaborative strategy among law enforcement (federal, state, and local) 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:

The weed and seed program 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 programs and resources 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. The legislature finds that, since the beginning of the program, 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) The legislature supports the establishment of a public-private partnership to facilitate statewide collaboration in the weed and seed initiative and involving the United States Attorney's office and a private nonprofit corporation that is eligible for tax exempt status in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and organized for the purposes of:

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), 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. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, for the purpose of establishing and supporting a statewide public-private partnership, the purpose of which is to collaborate on the weed and seed initiative to reclaim, restore, and rebuild Hawaii's communities.

SECTION 4. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of the attorney general for the establishment and support of a public private partnership between the United States Attorney's Office and a nonprofit corporation meeting the requirements of section 2 for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. The attorney general 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 purposes of the expenditures.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.