SB1221 Summary

• Requires each county to adopt ordinances regulating retention and detention ponds by January 1, 2027, including permitting processes for new construction.

• Mandates safety requirements for retention and detention ponds including four-foot minimum fencing with locked gates, "No Swimming" signage, life buoys at entry points, and proper ground cover maintenance.

• Exempts retention and detention ponds on golf courses, hotels, resorts, and other secured recreational areas, provided owners demonstrate sufficient security measures to counties.

• Requires each county to conduct a survey of all existing retention and detention ponds within its jurisdiction and submit findings and recommendations to the legislature by twenty days before the 2026 regular session.

• Known as "Sharkey's Law" in recognition of Charlotte "Sharkey" Schaefers, a five-year-old girl who drowned at a Pearl City naval housing complex.