Bill > HB509

This bill strengthens the State Water Code's penalty provisions by expanding the types of violations and increasing the financial consequences for non-compliance. Specifically, the bill adds a minimum penalty of $50 and increases the maximum penalty to $25,000 per violation, with each day of an ongoing violation considered a separate offense. The bill broadens the definition of violations to include failing to obtain required permits, not complying with permit conditions, and ignoring water audit requirements. When imposing penalties, the Commission on Water Resource Management must now consider multiple factors such as the nature and extent of the violation, economic benefits gained by the violator, the history of corrective actions, good faith efforts to comply, and degree of culpability. The legislation aims to create a more robust enforcement mechanism for protecting Hawaii's water resources by providing a more comprehensive and flexible approach to penalizing water code violations, with the ultimate goal of deterring improper water use and management practices.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=509&year=2026