Appropriates general funds for deposit into the animal quarantine special fund to reduce guarantine user fees; waives repayment to general fund of revenues used to establish animal quarantine special fund. (SD1)

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature declares that keeping Hawaii rabies-free is a public health and safety concern, and that the cost of animal quarantine should be borne by all the people of Hawaii and not only those people who are required to use the services and facilities of the animal quarantine station. The legislature also recognizes the hardships that animal quarantine user fees place on military personnel and others when being transferred to Hawaii.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds from the general fund into the animal quarantine special fund to reduce quarantine user fees and to waive repayment of general funds previously appropriated for this purpose.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, for deposit into the animal quarantine special fund to be used to reduce quarantine user fees; provided that the reductions shall be made on the basis of the following factors to be considered by the department of agriculture:

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any sum, up to $600,000, appropriated out of the general fund to establish the animal quarantine special fund in fiscal year 1998-1999, shall remain in the animal quarantine special fund and the department of agriculture shall not return those funds to the general fund; provided that any amount already repaid to the general fund as of the effective date of this Act shall remain in the general fund.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.