HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	282
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING SHIPPING COMPANIES TO ASSIST THE HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH ENFORCEMENT OF THE STATE FIREWORKS CONTROL LAW.

     WHEREAS, House Bill 3366, introduced during the Regular Session of 2008, proposes to provide the counties more authority to enforce and administer the state fireworks control law; and

     WHEREAS, section 132D—7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, states that "a person shall not import, store, offer to sell, or sell, at wholesale or retail, aerial devices, display fireworks, articles pyrotechnic, or consumer fireworks unless the person has a valid license issued by the county"; and

     WHEREAS, unlicensed importers and dealers are illegally importing, storing, and selling aerial devices, display fireworks, articles pyrotechnic, and consumer fireworks, and are violating state law; and

     WHEREAS, the Honolulu Police Department announced on December 31, 2007 that four thousand three hundred pounds of aerial devices were confiscated from a Palolo home that posed a threat to nearby homes and the community; and

     WHEREAS, the United States Custom and Border Protection agency continues to share information with the Honolulu Fire Department when fireworks are imported from a foreign origin; and

     WHEREAS, cargo, including fireworks, from a foreign origin may be imported into the State domestically if the cargo is transferred in a domestic port to a ship bound for Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation — Harbors Division does not have the resources to inspect all shipping containers entering the State from a domestic origin; and

     WHEREAS, shipping companies do not provide manifest or shipper information to the Honolulu Fire Department if fireworks are imported into the State from a domestic origin; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-Fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that shipping companies are requested to assist the Honolulu Fire Department and the Honolulu Police Department with enforcement of the fireworks control law by providing information when they see or suspect the domestic importation of aerial devices, display fireworks, articles pyrotechnic, or consumer fireworks; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation — Harbors Division is requested to assist the Honolulu Fire Department and the Honolulu Police Department with the enforcement of the State fireworks control law; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chair of the State Fire Council, the Fire Chief and the Police Chief of the City and County of Honolulu, and the Director of Transportation, who in turn is requested to transmit copies to the Matson Navigation Company, Horizon Lines, Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines, Young Brothers, Ltd., FedEx Hawaii, United Parcel Service of America, Inc., DHL International, Ltd., and DHX.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

State Fireworks Control Law; HNL Fire Dept.