STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1593

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 336
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 336, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PLANT AND NON-DOMESTIC ANIMAL
     QUARANTINE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide restrictions on the
importation of microorganisms into the State.

     Your Committee finds that the State's ecology has been
irresistibly changed by the careless importation of plant and
animal life.  Microorganisms can pose the same type of ecological
threat to the State's ecosystem.  By establishing categories of
nonrestricted, restricted, and prohibited organisms, and
requiring various safeguards and reporting requirements, the
State can do a better job at protecting our ecosystem.

     Your Committee has amended the bill by adding a new section
on importing microorganisms by certified importers that provides
safeguards for the importation of prohibited microorganisms for
use in medical or scientific research.  The provisions of this
bill do not necessarily reflect the Senate's final position, but
have been incorporated at the request of the University of Hawaii
to allow for further consideration.  Your Committee has also
amended the bill by changing the effective date to July 1, 3001,

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1593
                                   Page 2


to ensure that further discussion will take place before final
legislative action.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
336, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 336, H.D. 1, S.D.
1.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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