(a) Whenever any government entity engages in a search or rescue operation for the purpose of searching for or rescuing a person, and incurs search and rescue expenses therein, the government entity may seek reimbursement from the following:

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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 137-2

  • Government entity: means any department, unit, or agency, of the federal, state, or county governments. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 137-1
  • Search and rescue expenses: include the following expenses incident to, and incurred by, a government entity or any person or private entity in a search or rescue operation:

    (1) Any and all actual hourly wages, salaries, and employment-related benefits, of persons participating in a search or rescue operation;

    (2) Any and all equipment costs, including rental, lease, use, repair, and/or replacement costs of equipment used in a search or rescue operation;

    (3) Any and all fuel expenses incident to a search or rescue operation;

    (4) Any and all other expenses relating to a search and rescue operation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 137-1

  • Warning or notice: means any warning or notice issued by a government entity posted on any type of sign. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 137-1
(1) The person on whose behalf search or rescue operations were conducted, including the person’s estate, guardians, custodians, or other entity responsible for the person’s safety;
(2) A person who ultimately benefited from a search or rescue operation by being rescued; or
(3) Any entity responsible for placing the person in the position of danger for which the search or rescue operation was initiated.
(b) Reimbursement under subsection (a) shall be allowed only if the need for search or rescue was caused by any act or omission by the person searched for or rescued, constituting intentional disregard for the person’s safety, including, but not limited to, intentionally disregarding a warning or notice.

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