STAND. COM. REP. NO. 850-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1949
                                     H.D. 2




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No.
1949, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ALIEN AQUATIC ORGANISMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to designate the Department of
Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) as the lead state agency for
preventing the introduction and carrying out the destruction of
alien aquatic organisms through the regulation of ballast water
discharges and hull fouling organisms.

     DLNR and the Department of Transportation testified in
support of this bill.  The University of Hawaii's Environmental
Center offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting the $50,000 appropriation from the Commercial
          Fisheries Special Fund to support the program;

     (2)  Indicating that DLNR's ability to prevent alien species
          introductions is limited to whether it can obtain
          federal or other funds;

     (3)  Replacing the provision that statutorily establishes an
          interagency rapid response team with language
          authorizing DLNR to establish an interagency team to
          address concerns relating to alien aquatic organisms;

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 850-00
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     (4)  Deleting the requirement that DLNR examine the
          feasibility of establishing a quarantine area and an
          onshore ballast water disposal/treatment facility in
          Honolulu Harbor;

     (5)  Deleting the authorization for the Governor to enter
          into an agreement with the Secretary of Transportation
          relating to the management of alien aquatic organisms;

     (6)  Specifying that DLNR's rules may include implementation
          of a course of action in relation to the arrival of a
          high risk vessel;

     (7)  Providing a definition for "high risk vessel"; and

     (8)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the
          purpose of consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
1949, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1949, H.D.
2.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Finance,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair