A raft of measures addressing illegal fireworks in Hawaii failed to pass legislative muster this year, but a bill to establish an Illegal Fireworks Task Force is on Gov. Josh Green’s desk.
If passed into law, Senate Bill 821 — introduced by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, an Oahu Democrat — would set up the task force within the newly created state Department of Law Enforcement.
The goal is to stop the importation of illegal fireworks and explosives into the state, promote compliance with fireworks control laws and ensure the safety and security of airports, harbors, facilities and institutions in the state against the discharge of illegal fireworks and explosives.
“This task force will help people with pets, people with (post-traumatic stress disorder), and especially our kupuna. Not to mention, it will reduce bodily harm inflicted on people setting off pyrotechnics,” said Dela Cruz. “We look forward to working with the Department of Law Enforcement to help address this pervasive problem.”
Numerous other senators signed on to the measure, including Sen. Lorraine Inouye, an East Hawaii Democrat and Ways and Means Committee member.
“I have a feeling the governor will sign the bill,” Inouye said. “It basically has his language for setting up the task force.”
The bill shares language with SB 1339 and House Bill 1041, companion measures that were part of the governor’s bill package that would’ve set up the task force.
The measure, if approved, would allocate $1.25 million for the task force.
“The Department of Law Enforcement is working with its state, local and federal partners to develop an operational strategy to interdict the flow of illegal fireworks and explosives,” said Jordan Lowe, director of DLE. “The task force will develop criminal cases against those individuals and organizations responsible for the importation and distribution of illegal fireworks and explosives.”
Lowe or his designee would be the chair of the task force, which the measure directs to use as its basis “the findings from the Legislative Reference Bureau’s 2019 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.”
According to the bill, other members of the panel would be the attorney general; the deputy director of the state Harbors Division; and the chief of police and prosecuting attorney for each county.
The chair would also be mandated to invite numerous federal law enforcers to participate, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; the U.S. Coast Guard; U.S Customs and Border Protection; and the Office of Homeland Security Investigations.
The task force is to submit an interim report on “the status of its comprehensive strategic plan, including findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation” to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the start of the 2024 legislative session. It also will submit a final report of its findings no later than 20 days prior to the start of the 2025 legislative session.
The legislation, if signed into law, would go into effect on July 1, and would be repealed on June 30, 2025.
“It’s time,” Inouye said. “It’s been since 2011 since we’ve had a task force on the illegal fireworks issue, and things have just gotten worse since then.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
