HI HB1232

Prohibits counties from permitting construction of new retention or detention ponds unless developers file a maintenance plan and an affidavit agreeing to annual inspections by the Department of Health

Establishes the "Charlotte 'Sharkey' Schaefers Inspection Law" creating a statewide monitoring and inspection program for retention and detention ponds, named after a five-year-old girl who drowned at a Pearl City naval housing complex

Requires annual safety inspections to verify proper vegetation management, fencing, signage, ring buoys, gradual sloping, shelves for climbing out of water, trash removal, and sediment levels

Exempts ponds built before the effective date and secured properties like golf courses, hotels, and resorts from inspection requirements if they provide proof of security

Appropriates unspecified funds for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to establish 4 full-time inspector positions (one each for Oahu, Hawaii, and Kauai, plus one for Maui, Molokai, and Lanai), effective July 1, 2025