Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2481 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to include theft of a goat as constituting the offense of theft of livestock.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that livestock theft is a significant problem that causes severe economic losses to livestock farmers. Current law only covers the theft of animals of the bovine, equine, swine, and sheep species. However, in today's diversified agricultural industry several other valuable species of livestock are raised for commercial and household use.

Your Committee finds that current law should reflect the progressive and diverse nature of Hawaii's livestock industry. Therefore, your Committee amended this measure by including the theft of any species of animal farmed for commercial or household use as constituting the offense of theft of livestock.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2481, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2481, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.