SB167 SD1.DOC

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	167
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO CONSERVATION CORPS.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that conservation corps, such as AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps and the department of land and natural resources Hawaii youth conservation corps, place participants in natural resource conservation activities to assist them in developing a sense of stewardship and enable them to gain valuable work experience through community service, training, and education. Generally, these programs are only available as summer activities to students. A similar program for at-risk individuals in our community designed to assist them in developing life and job skills to become responsible, self‑reliant citizens would be beneficial not only to these individuals but to our communities and the State as well.

The purpose of this Act is to require the department of land and natural resources to establish a two-year conservation corps pilot program for the purpose of helping at-risk persons to develop life and job skills and gain work experience. The program shall be established in the county with the largest contiguous land area in the State.

SECTION 2. The department of land and natural resources shall establish a Hawaii conservation corps two-year pilot program in a county with the largest contiguous land area in the State. The program shall allow at-risk adults to serve in a conservation program modeled after the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps program and the Hawaii youth conservation corps program. The program shall be designed to focus on conservation and environmental protection, while fostering work experience and life skills.

For purposes of this pilot program, "at-risk adult" is defined to mean a person, aged eighteen years or older, who is recovering from drug addiction or has recently been released from prison and is reintegrating into the community.

SECTION 3. (a) No later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2010 regular session of the legislature, the department of land and natural resources shall submit a status report of all its activities relating to the Hawaii conservation corps program, including but not limited to:

(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 Hawaii conservation corps program; and

(4) Success rates in helping corps members find employment or otherwise attain personal achievements and growth.

(b) No later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2011 regular session of the legislature, the department of land and natural resources shall submit a final report of all its activities relating to the Hawaii conservation corps program, including all criteria from the initial report and adding:

(1) The viability of continuation and expansion of the program;

(2) Whether the program should be made permanent; and

(3) Any subsequent legislation that should be enacted to improve the performance of the program or make it permanent.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009-2010 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 to establish and operate a two-year pilot Hawaii conservation corps program; provided that the funds appropriated by this section are matched, dollar for dollar, by private or federal funds.

SECTION 5. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.