| 43 | | - | WHEREAS, in 2011, the City and County of Honolulu imposed a partial fireworks ban on pyrotechnics use, making the possession and use of aerial fireworks and certain other consumer fireworks illegal; and WHEREAS, despite the ban, there continue to be numerous instances of illegal firework use, which have caused physical injuries and property damage; and WHEREAS, Act 170, Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, established the Illegal Fireworks Task Force to develop strategies and make recommendations to the Legislature to address the illegal importation and use of fireworks in the State; and WHEREAS, the Illegal Fireworks Task Force recommended in its January 2011 report an increase in random inspections for illegal fireworks by expanding the inspection authority for state departments and focusing cargo inspections to make the inspections more manageable; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Act 184, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, the Legislative Reference Bureau updated the findings and recommendations of the January 2011 report; and WHEREAS, the 2019 Legislative Reference Bureau report, Blast From the Past: An Update to the Report of the Illegal Fireworks Task Force to the Legislature for the Regular Session of 2011, indicated that the "majority of respondents to the [Legislative Reference] Bureau's Survey appeared to agree that the issues and challenges presented by the Task Force in its 2011 report remain relevant today."; and WHEREAS, the state harbors system consists of ten commercial harbors, all of which are under the authority of the State; and WHEREAS, over ninety-nine percent of the more than two hundred thousand shipping cargo containers that arrive in Hawaii each year come through the State's commercial harbors, and only a small fraction of these shipping containers are inspected by government agencies; and WHEREAS, the lack of sufficient cargo inspections increases the opportunity for illegal fireworks to enter the State; and WHEREAS, an audit of current harbor inspection procedures of state departments for out-of-state and interisland arrivals of shipping containers would: (1) Outline current inspection procedures at state harbors; (2) Identify any shortcomings in the current procedures; (3) Determine whether the recommendations of the January 2011 Illegal Fireworks Task Force report and the 2019 Legislative Reference Bureau update to the Task Force's report relating to harbor inspections have been implemented and to what extent; and (4) Determine any necessary changes that would reduce the volume of illegal fireworks being imported into the State; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that the Auditor is requested to conduct an audit of current harbor inspection procedures of state departments for shipping containers to prevent the importation of illegal fireworks into the State; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to include in its audit: (1) A review and description of current harbor inspection procedures for illegal fireworks, including inspections of out-of-state and interisland cargo; (2) A description of whether and to what extent recommendations made in the January 2011 report of the Illegal Fireworks Task Force and the Legislative Reference Bureau's 2019 update to the report are being implemented; and (3) Any recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to reduce the importation of illegal fireworks into the State; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to submit a report, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor, Director of Transportation, Director of Agriculture, Director of Public Safety, and Police Chiefs of the City and County of Honolulu, County of Hawaii, County of Kauai, and County of Maui. Report Title: Auditor; Fireworks; Harbor Inspections |
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| 43 | + | WHEREAS, in 2011, the City and County of Honolulu imposed a partial fireworks ban on pyrotechnics use, making the possession and use of aerial fireworks and certain other consumer fireworks illegal; and WHEREAS, despite the ban and in other areas of the State, there continue to be numerous instances of illegal firework use, which have caused physical injuries and property damage; and WHEREAS, Act 170, Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, established the Illegal Fireworks Task Force to develop strategies and make recommendations to the Legislature to address the illegal importation and use of fireworks in the State; and WHEREAS, the Illegal Fireworks Task Force recommended in its January 2011 report an increase in random inspections for illegal fireworks by expanding the inspection authority for state departments and focusing cargo inspections to make the inspections more manageable; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Act 184, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, the Legislative Reference Bureau updated the findings and recommendations of the January 2011 report; and WHEREAS, the 2019 Legislative Reference Bureau report, Blast From the Past: An Update to the Report of the Illegal Fireworks Task Force to the Legislature for the Regular Session of 2011, indicated that the "majority of respondents to the [Legislative Reference] Bureau's Survey appeared to agree that the issues and challenges presented by the Task Force in its 2011 report remain relevant today."; and WHEREAS, the state harbors system consists of ten commercial harbors, all of which are under the authority of the State; and WHEREAS, over ninety-nine percent of the more than two hundred thousand shipping cargo containers that arrive in Hawaii each year come through the State's commercial harbors, and only a small fraction of these shipping containers are inspected by government agencies; and WHEREAS, the lack of sufficient cargo inspections increases the opportunity for illegal fireworks to enter the State; and WHEREAS, an audit of current harbor inspection procedures of state departments and federal agencies for out-of-state and interisland arrivals of shipping containers would: (1) Outline current inspection procedures at state harbors; (2) Identify any shortcomings in the current procedures; (3) Determine whether the recommendations of the January 2011 Illegal Fireworks Task Force report and the 2019 Legislative Reference Bureau update to the Task Force's report relating to harbor inspections have been implemented and to what extent; and (4) Determine any necessary changes that would reduce the volume of illegal fireworks being imported into the State; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that the Auditor is requested to conduct an audit of current harbor inspection procedures of state departments and federal agencies for out-of-state and interisland arrivals of shipping containers to prevent the importation of illegal fireworks into the State; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to include in its audit: (1) A review and description of current harbor inspection procedures for illegal fireworks; (2) A description of whether and to what extent recommendations made in the January 2011 report of the Illegal Fireworks Task Force and the Legislative Reference Bureau's 2019 update to the report are being implemented; and (3) Any recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to reduce the importation of illegal fireworks into the State; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to submit the audit, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District, Auditor, Director of Transportation, Director of Agriculture, Director of Public Safety, and Police Chiefs of the City and County of Honolulu, County of Hawaii, County of Kauai, and County of Maui. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Auditor; Fireworks; Harbor Inspections |
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