STAND

STAND. COM. REP. 1148

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1505

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy and Environmental Protection and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 1505, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to protect the fragile natural environment of the State by:

(1) Providing statutory authority for the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (Council) to address the problem of invasive species in the State, as authorized by Executive Order No. 2002-03;

(2) Authorizing the Departments of Agriculture (DOA), Health, and Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to enter private and public premises to examine, control, and eradicate invasive species;

(3) Banning the import, offer for sale, or sale of any Salvinia plant or portion thereof within the State; and

(4) Extending the effective term of any interim rule made by the DOA for plant and non-domestic animal quarantine from 180 days to one year.

The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Maui Invasive Species Committee, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, and a member of the Maui County Council testified in support of this bill. The Sierra Club - Hawaii Chapter and Hawaii Pest Control Association supported this measure with amendments. DOA and DLNR supported the intent of the bill.

Your Committees find that invasive insects, disease-bearing organisms, snakes, weeds, and other pests pose one of the greatest threats to the environment and economy of Hawaii and to the health and lifestyle of its people. The recent outbreak of dengue fever, the proliferation of Coqui frogs, and the infestation of Salvinia molesta choking Lake Wilson and Kawainui Marsh on Oahu are just a few examples of the dangers of invasive species.

Your Committees have amended this bill by, among other things:

(1) Making the Council a temporary body;

(2) Modifying the composition of the Council members;

(3) Expanding the authority of state departments to enter public or private premises for the purpose of examining, controlling, and eradicating invasive species;

(4) Prohibiting the import, offer for sale, or sale of pistia stratiotes plants or any portion thereof within the State; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environmental Protection and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1505, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1505, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environmental Protection and Agriculture,

____________________________ FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair		____________________________ HERMINA M. MORITA, Chair