KAILUA-KONA — A bill to finance four lifeguards at Kua Bay has cleared the state House Committee on Finance.
The committee voted Thursday to recommend the bill be passed without any changes. It next needs pass a third reading in the House by March 8 in order to crossover to the Senate for further consideration.
House Bill 2044 seeks unspecified monies for fiscal year 2018-19 for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to hire four full-time lifeguards to watch over the bay within Kekaha Kai State Park.
It would also provide $80,000 in general funds that fiscal year for a lifeguard tower, radios, protective equipment and an all-terrain vehicle.
In testimony submitted for an earlier hearing, the department said staffing the four positions at Kua Bay would cost about$340,355 annually. It also needs more money to cover increases to its current contracts with the county to provide
Attempts to secure lifeguards at Kua Bay have been pursued a handful of times over the years. Last year, a similar House bill made it to the Senate, but stalled when it did not secure a necessary committee hearing. It was carried over to the 2018 state Legislature but has not moved thus far.
A similar bill seeking unspecified monies for the DLNR to position lifeguards at state and county parks throughout Hawaii also remains alive. House Bill 2097 was scheduled to be heard Friday by the House Committee on Finance, however, details on the hearing were yet to be posted on the state Legislature’s website.