HB2250 SD1.DOC

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that threats to Hawaii's natural resources and watersheds, such as invasive species, require a rapid response to mitigate environmental damage and prevent far higher costs that may be needed if the threat is allowed to expand.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a special operations team, in place of the emergency environmental workforce, that is authorized to recruit a temporary workforce to respond to environmental emergencies.

SECTION 2. Act 4, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, Third Special Session, is amended by amending section 2 to read as follows:

"SECTION 2. (a) There is established [~~the emergency environmental workforce to be attached to The Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii for administrative purposes. The emergency environmental workforce shall:~~] a special operations team to be attached to the research corporation of the University of Hawaii for administrative purposes that shall be responsible for responding to environmental emergencies. The special operations team shall provide environmental emergency response services including but not limited to:

(1) [~~Employ~~] Employing approximately four hundred to four hundred fifty individuals who were terminated from their jobs [~~after the September 11 tragedy~~] as a result of the local economic downturn. The individuals shall be employed as three-month [~~contract~~] employees;

(2) [~~Deploy~~] Deploying contract employees to all island mayors certifying a need for environmental clearance and eradication services to supplement current services being provided for the isolation of dengue fever, the eradication of the miconia plant and other invasive plants, and the reduction of coqui frog and fire ant populations; [~~and~~]

(3) [~~Coordinate~~] Coordinating its efforts with the efforts of the invasive species committee on each island[.]; and

(4) Recruiting temporary emergency environmental workforce employees who are qualified to perform response services.

(b) The special operations team shall be chaired by the chairperson of the board of land and natural resources and shall include the following members:

(1) The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources, or the chairperson's designee;

(2) The director of health, or the director's designee;

(3) The chairperson of the board of agriculture, or the chairperson's designee; and

(4) The mayor of each county, or a mayor's designee.

(c) All temporary emergency environmental workforce employees employed pursuant to this Act shall be subject to the research corporation of the University of Hawaii's policies and procedures relating to employment, except for any applicable unemployment insurance benefits pursuant to chapter 383, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which shall be the responsibility of the State."

SECTION 3. Act 4, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, Third Special Session, is amended by amending section 3 to read as follows:

"SECTION 3. [~~The Research Corporation~~] Upon a determination by the special operations team to respond to an environmental emergency, the research corporation of the University of Hawaii shall:

(1) Together with the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit[~~, develop~~]:

(A) Develop a planning, administration, implementation, and evaluation strategy, including a program duration plan and a budget for contract and administrative expenses for the sum appropriated; and

(B) Conduct interviews to select emergency environmental workforce employees who are qualified to perform response services;

(2) Consult with private employers with workforces, which have, or which may be, affected by layoffs from the economic downturn [~~as a result of the September 11 tragedy~~] to develop a recruitment and public information plan;

(3) Develop a strategy for the interviewing and selection of program participants;

(4) Work with island mayors requesting cleaning and eradication services to administer physical examinations, as may be necessary, to qualifying applicants prior to final contract offers;

(5) Request that the attorneys employed or retained by the University of Hawaii prepare the necessary employment contracts to meet the objectives of the program on an expedited basis;

(6) Submit review and assessment reports to the governor, the senate president, and the house speaker every sixty days for the duration of the program; and

(7) Undertake all other necessary activities for program development and implementation."

SECTION 4. 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 2012-2013 for the recruitment and employment of temporary emergency environmental workforce employees as determined necessary by the special operations team.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2012.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2250
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012		H.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 1