THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2463 |
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to pesticides.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Section 149A-41, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§149A-41 Violations, warning notice, and penalties.
(a) Warning notice. Any person who violates this chapter or any
rule issued under this chapter may upon the first violation be issued a written
warning notice citing the specific violation and necessary corrective action[.],
unless the violation results in bodily injury, in which case penalties under
subsection (c) shall apply.
(b)
Administrative penalties.
(1) In
general, any registrant, commercial applicator, wholesaler, dealer, retailer,
or other distributor who violates any provision of this chapter may be assessed
an administrative penalty by the board of not more than $5,000 for each
offense;
(2) Any
private applicator or other person not included in paragraph (1) who violates
any provision of this chapter relating to the use of pesticides while on
property owned or rented by that person or the person's employer, subsequent to
receiving a written warning from the department or following a citation for a
prior violation, may be assessed an administrative penalty by the board of not
more than $1,000 for each offense. Any
private applicator or other person not included in paragraph (1) who violates
any provision of this chapter relating to licensing, transport, sale, distribution,
or application of a pesticide for commercial purposes may be assessed an
administrative penalty as provided in paragraph (1);
(3) No
administrative penalty shall be assessed unless the person charged shall have
been given notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the specific charge in
the county of the residence of the person charged. The administrative penalty and any proposed
action contained in the notice of finding of violation shall become a final
order unless, within twenty days of receipt of the notice, the person or
persons charged make a written request for a hearing. In determining the amount of penalty, the
board shall consider the appropriateness of the penalty to the size of the
business of the person charged, the effect on the person's ability to continue
business, and the gravity of the violation; and
(4) In
case of inability to collect the administrative penalty or failure of any
person to pay all or such portion of the administrative penalty as the board
may determine, the board shall refer the matter to the attorney general, who
shall recover the amount by action in the appropriate court. For any judicial proceeding to recover the
administrative penalty imposed, the attorney general need only show that notice
was given, a hearing was held or the time granted for requesting a hearing has
expired without such a request, the administrative penalty was imposed, and
that the penalty remains unpaid.
(c)
Criminal penalties.
(1) [In
general, any] Any registrant, commercial applicator, wholesaler,
dealer, retailer, or other distributor who knowingly violates any provision of
this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall on conviction be fined
not more than $25,000, or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both[.];
provided that if the violation results in bodily injury, the registrant,
commercial applicator, wholesaler, dealer, retailer, or other distributor shall
be guilty of a class C felony and shall on conviction be fined not more than
$100,000, or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both.
(2) Any
private applicator or other person not included in paragraph (1) who knowingly
violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and
shall on conviction be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned for not more
than one year, or both[.];
provided that if the violation results in bodily injury, the private applicator
or other person shall be guilty of a class C felony and shall on conviction be
fined not more than $25,000, or imprisoned for not more than five years, or
both.
(3) Any
person, who, with intent to defraud, uses or reveals information relative to
formulas of products acquired under the authority of section 3, Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended, shall be fined
not more than $10,000, or imprisoned for not more than three years, or both.
(d)
Liabilities. When construing and
enforcing the provisions of this chapter, the act, omission, or failure of any
officer, agent, or other person acting for or employed by any person shall in
every case be also deemed to be the act, omission, or failure of such person as
well as that of the person employed.
(e)
Definitions. For purposes of this
section, "bodily injury" has the same meaning as in section 707-700."
SECTION 2. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Pesticides; Bodily Injury; Penalty
Description:
Increases penalties and eliminates warnings for Hawaii Pesticides Law violations that result in bodily injury.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.