STAND. COM. REP. NO. 997

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1186
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Development, to which was
referred H.B. No. 1186 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WILDLIFE PENALTIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:
     
     The purpose of this measure is to update and clarify the
penalty provisions relating to wildlife management.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), the
Hawaii Hunting Advisory Council, the Hawaii Hunting Association,
and the Hawaii Rifle Association.

     Your Committee finds that this section of statutes was last
revised in 1996, when a housekeeping measure inadvertently
removed the provision that a violation of DLNR hunting rules was
a violation of the statute and subject to penalty.  This change
has been noted by several district courts, and DLNR is inhibited
in proceeding with cases of alleged violations of the rules.
Your Committee believes that this reinstatement of the penalty
provisions, as well as the increases of the minimum fines in this
measure, will assist the department in its efforts to protect and
maintain Hawaii's natural resources.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Economic Development that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 997
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of H.B. No. 1186 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Economic
                                   Development,



                                   ______________________________
                                   LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 
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