REPORT TITLE:
Public Lands; Liability


DESCRIPTION:
Declares that the government is not liable for accidents and
injuries occurring on unimproved public property; requires the
state or county operating a public beach park develop and
implement a plan for warning of dangerous natural conditions;
repeals Act 190, SLH 1996.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           226
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC LAND.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding
 
 2 a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as
 
 3 follows:
 
 4                           "CHAPTER  
 
 5                  PUBLIC LAND LIABILITY IMMUNITY
 
 6         -1  Definitions.  As used in this chapter:
 
 7      "Government" means any unit of government in this State,
 
 8 including any county or combination of counties, any department,
 
 9 agency, institution, board, commission, district, council,
 
10 bureau, office, governing authority, or other instrumentality of
 
11 state or county government, or any corporation or other
 
12 establishment owned, operated, or managed by or on behalf of this
 
13 State or any county.
 
14      "Public beach" means beaches and shoreline fronting public
 
15 beach parks and public beach accesses.
 
16         -2  Natural condition of unimproved public land;
 
17 liability.  Neither a government nor a government officer nor an
 
18 employee shall be liable for an injury caused by a natural
 
19 condition of any unimproved public land, including but not
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           226
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 limited to any natural condition of any lake, stream, bay, river,
 
 2 ocean, trail access, or beach.  
 
 3         -3  Public beaches; other public lands.(a)  Public
 
 4 beaches shall be deemed to be in a natural condition and
 
 5 unimproved, notwithstanding the provision or absence of public
 
 6 services such as lifeguards, police or sheriff patrols, medical
 
 7 services, fire protection services, beach cleanup services,
 
 8 restrooms, parking lots, seawalls, revetments, groins, signs, or
 
 9 other shore protection structures.
 
10      (b)  Public lands shall be deemed to be in a natural
 
11 condition and unimproved, notwithstanding the existence of or
 
12 maintenance of trails and pathways on the land.
 
13         -4  Rescue services.  Nothing in this chapter shall be
 
14 construed to immunize the government from liability for the
 
15 negligent performance of rescue services. 
 
16         -5  Public beach; warnings and signage.  The State or
 
17 county entity operating a public beach park shall submit, to the
 
18 chairperson of the board of land and natural resources, a
 
19 comprehensive plan of signage to be posted warning of dangerous
 
20 natural conditions in the ocean adjacent to a public beach.  The
 
21 chairperson shall review the plan for adequacy of the warning, as
 
22 well as the design and placement of the warning signs, devices,
 
23 and system.  The chairperson shall approve or amend each plan
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           226
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 within ninety days of submission; provided that plans not
 
 2 approved by the chairperson within ninety days of submission
 
 3 shall be deemed approved.  Nothing in this section shall be
 
 4 construed to impose liability to the State or counties with
 
 5 respect to signage."
 
 6      SECTION 2.  Act 190, Session Laws of Hawaii 1996, is
 
 7 repealed.
 
 8      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
 9 
 
10                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________