HB1457 HD1

SECTION 1. The legislature finds the department of land and natural resources' youth conservation corps places participants in natural resource conservation activities to help them develop a sense of stewardship and build valuable work experience through community service, training, and education. However, these programs are mainly offered as summer activities for students.

The purpose of this Act is to redefine the mission of the youth conservation corps to help at-risk youth, to appropriate moneys for a year-round program, and to create a pilot program on the island of Hawaii.

SECTION 2. Chapter 193, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§193- Youth conservation corps; funding. In addition to funds provided under section 247-7, the director of land and natural resources may seek grants from public and private sources and may accept donations to finance the projects, programs, and activities of the youth conservation corps."

SECTION 3. Section 193-32, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§193-32[]] Administration. To carry out the program authorized by this part, the governor may:

(1) Enter into an agreement or agreements, or designate the department of land and natural resources, or any other state department or departments as the state agency or agencies to enter into an agreement or agreements, with the proper authorities of the United States;

(2) Designate the department of land and natural resources, or any state department or departments to design year-round programs to provide healthful outdoor training and employment for at-risk youth [~~young persons~~] and to advance the conservation, development, and management of natural resources and recreational areas, in accordance with the applicable federal law; provided that the designated department or departments may also adopt appropriate rules under chapter 91 to carry out the programs so designed; and

(3) Defray one-half of all costs incurred with respect to the programs or any other proportion of the costs of the programs, which may be required by the applicable laws of the United States, out of any moneys appropriated to the department or departments designated to participate in the programs, without regard to the original purpose of the appropriations.

As used in this section, "at-risk youth" means youth with a history of academic problems, negative peer groups, gang affiliation, chronic truancy, anti-social behavior, substance abuse, or other indicators of potential juvenile delinquency."

SECTION 4. Section 195-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) To preserve, manage, and protect the reserves system, the department is authorized, in addition to any other powers, to:

(1) Designate and bring under its control and management, as part of the reserves system, any areas as follows:

(A) State owned land under the jurisdiction of the department may be set aside as a natural area reserve by resolution of the department, subject to the approval of the governor by executive order setting the land aside for that purpose;

(B) New natural area reserves may be established:

(i) By gift, devise, grant, reimbursement to cooperators, exchange, or purchase of land or any interest therein, including, but not limited to, conservation easements;

(ii) By eminent domain pursuant to chapter 101; or

(iii) By the setting aside of state owned land for that purpose by the governor, as provided in section 171-11;

(2) Cooperate or contract with any federal, state, or county governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency, private organization, or individual in carrying out the purpose of this chapter;

(3) Acquire by gift, devise, grant, or donation any personal property to be used in the acquisition or management, or both, of natural area reserves;

(4) Implement, after consultation with the commission and based on the most comprehensive up-to-date compilation of scientific data, the acquisition, management, protection, and use of natural area reserves; [~~and~~]

(5) Administer the youth conservation corps, as established in part IV of chapter 193 for at-risk youth; and

[~~(5)~~] (6) Prepare and take the necessary steps to implement the management plan set forth in section 195-11."

SECTION 5. Section 247-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§247-7 Disposition of taxes. All taxes collected each fiscal year under this chapter shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the general fund of the State, to be used and expended for the purposes for which the general fund was created and exists by law; provided that of the taxes collected each fiscal year:

(1) Ten per cent shall be paid into the land conservation fund established pursuant to section 173A-5;

(2) Fifty per cent shall be paid into the rental housing trust fund established by section 201G-432; and

(3) Twenty-five per cent shall be paid into the natural area reserve fund established by section 195-9; provided that the funds paid into the natural area reserve fund shall be annually disbursed by the department of land and natural resources in the following priority:

(A) To natural area partnership and forest stewardship programs after joint consultation with the forest stewardship committee and the natural area reserves system commission;

(B) Projects undertaken in accordance with watershed management plans pursuant to section 171-58 or watershed management plans negotiated with private landowners, and management of the natural area reserves system pursuant to section 195-3; and

SECTION 6. The department of land and natural resources shall:

(1) Establish a five-year pilot program on the island of Hawaii for the youth conservation corps, incorporating natural resource conservation activities to help corps members develop life and job skills and gain work experience. The program shall be designed to serve at-risk youth as defined in section 193-32, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

(2) Incorporate the following into the youth conservation corps program:

(A) Training as necessary to prepare new corps members for the youth conservation corps program;

(B) Physical fitness training;

(C) Work, as part of a crew of up to twelve corps members, of twenty hours each week through which corps members may learn:

(i) The importance of responsibility, dependability, punctuality, and good attendance;

(ii) Worksite relations skills, including taking constructive criticism and working cooperatively with other corps members and staff; and

(iii) Western and traditional Hawaiian job skills;

(D) Life skills training including instruction in conflict resolution, job search skills, personal money management, goal setting, and decision making;

(E) Education for twenty hours each week on subjects such as genealogy, Hawaiian language and traditional practices, reading, math, communication skills, English language proficiency, academic preparation, and work-specific skills; and

(F) Case management to oversee corps member participation in other personal assistance programs, such as substance abuse programs, while maintaining a continuity of academic-focused activity; and

(3) Appoint an executive director and hire staff exempt from chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for the youth conservation corps program.

The executive director of the youth conservation corps program shall consult, cooperate with, and seek advice from appropriate organizations and agencies.

SECTION 7. No later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session of the legislature, the department of land and natural resources shall submit to the legislature an annual report of all its activities relating to the youth conservation corps, including:

(1) An accounting of all moneys received and disbursed;

(2) Detailed descriptions of the types of activities and services offered to corps members;

(3) Statistics indicating the number and types of community members directly served by the youth conservation corps program; and

(4) Success rates in helping corps members attain personal achievements and growth.

SECTION 8. 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 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, to expand the youth conservation corps to a year-round program and establish and operate a youth conservation corps pilot program on the island of Hawaii.

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

SECTION 9. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007, provided that section 6 shall be repealed on June 30, 2012.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1457
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII