Bill > HB1232

This bill creates a comprehensive stormwater pond safety program in Hawaii aimed at reducing drowning risks, named after Charlotte "Sharkey" Schaefers, a five-year-old who drowned while trying to save a friend. The legislation requires counties to prohibit the construction of retention ponds (permanent water-holding areas that trap pollutants) and detention ponds (temporary water storage areas that drain within 72 hours) unless developers submit a maintenance plan and agree to annual inspections by the Department of Health. The Department of Health will establish a statewide monitoring and inspection program for these ponds, focusing on safety requirements such as proper vegetation management, fencing, signage, ground cover, bank stabilization, and the presence of safety features like rescue shelves. The bill exempts existing ponds built before a certain date and those on secured properties like golf courses and resorts. To implement the program, the state will appropriate funds to create four full-time inspector positions, with one designated for each major island group. Violations of the new regulations will be subject to administrative fines, and the program is officially named the "Charlotte 'Sharkey' Schaefers Inspection Law" in recognition of the tragic incident that inspired the legislation.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1232&year=2026