Report Title:

Appropriation; Emergency Environmental Workforce

Description:

Appropriates money to continue the emergency environmental workforce program. Clarifies Act 4, 2001 third special session to require the research corporation of UH to contribute to the costs of unemployment insurance of workers in the program.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1271

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

making an appropriation for the Emergency Environmental workforce.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature continues to find that the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have changed the lives of Americans. As a result, through Act 4, 2001 Third Special Session, the legislature established an emergency environmental workforce for short-term employment for individuals who have lost their jobs because of Hawaii's recent economic downturn.

The State is responsible for funds necessary to cover the unemployment claims on behalf of the employees hired through the emergency environmental workforce, any subsequent act to extend employment, or related to the emergency environmental workforce. The fringe cost for unemployment insurance, for the period July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2004, is       per cent of gross wages.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate money to continue the efforts of the emergency environmental workforce to improve the State's economy by employing citizens to protect the environment.

SECTION 2. Act 4, Session Laws of Hawaii, Third Special Session 2001, is amended by amending section 3 to read as follows:

"SECTION 3. The Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii shall:

(1) Together with the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, 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;

(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) Contribute to the State's cost of providing unemployment compensation benefits to workforce employees; and

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

SECTION 3. 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 2005-2006, to continue the emergency environmental workforce established under Act 4, 2001 Third Special Session.

SECTION 4. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. The department of land and natural resources, department of health, and department of agriculture shall cooperate with the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii to effectively deploy the workforce.

SECTION 6. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.

INTRODUCED BY:

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