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.C.R. No. 78 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Agriculture to update its 1996 rabies scientific risk assessment and review current quarantine procedures with public input to determine if a reduction of the quarantine period and other changes are warranted.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Department of Agriculture, Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaiian Humane Society, and Hawaii Business Roundtable. Testimony opposing this measure was received from the Community Quarantine Reform Coalition and one individual.

Your Committee finds that maintaining Hawaii's rabies-free status is a high priority for the State to ensure the public health and welfare. Therefore, strict and vigorous regulation of animals is necessary. It would be a terrible tragedy for the initial introduction of rabies to Hawaii to occur due to deregulation, or any other reason. However, your Committee recognizes that current quarantine regulations impose a substantial burden on new state residents as well as current residents that wish to travel with their animals. Therefore, your Committee finds that a re-analysis of scientific findings and quarantine regulations is necessary. However, your Committee reiterates that proposed changes to current quarantine regulations that lessen the compliance burden on animal owners should not, in any way, increase the risk of rabies introduction to the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by recognizing the Rabies Risk Analysis Report conducted by Peter S. Holck, Ph.D., and providing that the Department of Agriculture should consider the report to facilitate completion of the requests provided in this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 78, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 78, S.D. 1.