HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1033
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

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

SECTION 1. This Act is recommended by the governor for immediate passage in accordance with article VII, section 9, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

SECTION 2. Act 5, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, as amended by Act 7, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, and as also amended by Act 9, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, resulted in the deletion of the base salary of 298.50 positions in the amount of $17,972,111 in general funds from the department of public safety's fiscal year 2020-2021 budget. Specifically, 160.0 adult corrections officers' salaries were deleted, totaling $9,613,332.

The department of public safety operates eight separate correctional institutions on Oahu and three on the neighbor islands, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. A sufficient number of trained security staff is required to safely operate these secure institutions. The staff of 160.0 adult corrections officers is necessary to ensure security coverage at all times, especially considering the need for any response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department of public safety projects a shortage in funding for personnel for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the following facilities:

PSD 402- Halawa Correctional Facility: $ 1,281,396

PSD 403- Kulani Correctional Facility: $ 29,520

PSD 404- Waiawa Correctional Facility: $ 292,932

PSD 405- Hawaii Community Correctional Center: $ 240,714

PSD 406- Maui Community Correctional Center: $ 1,053,924

PSD 407- Oahu Community Correctional Center: $ 1,620,912

PSD 408- Kauai Community Correctional Center: $ 144,204

PSD 409- Women’s Community Correctional Center: $ 143,064

Additionally, staffing for the health care division which is at the forefront of the department of public safety's response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been critically reduced with the deletion of the base salary for 33.50 positions, 26.50 of which are health care professionals, including physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, registered nurses, para-medical assistants, physical and occupational therapists, and psychiatric social workers. The salary reduction for the 26.50 positions in PSD 421-Health Care for fiscal year 2020-2021 is $2,400,451. The department's pandemic response plan requires all health care disciplines to provide health care service, assistance, and monitoring capabilities in-house at all correctional institutions. The department projects a shortfall for personnel services for PSD 421-Health Care in fiscal year 2020-2021 as:

PSD 421 – Health Care: $ 1,200,226

The purpose of this Act is to make an emergency appropriation to the department of public safety to provide various correctional institutions and its health care division with sufficient funds to cover the personnel costs associated with the provision of operations and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $6,006,892 or so much thereof as may be necessary for the department of public safety to cover the costs of its personnel services shortfall for fiscal year 2020-2021.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of public safety for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Report Title:

Emergency Appropriation; Department of Public Safety

Description:

Makes an emergency appropriation to provide funds for the department of public safety to cover the costs of the personnel services shortfall at all correctional institutions statewide.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.