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. 554 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to promote and support research and the training of snake detector dogs by allowing the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to import four live, sterile, male brown tree snakes into the State.

DOA, Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Hawaii Pest Control Association, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, and the Invasive Species Committee of each island supported this bill.

Your Committees find that snake detector dogs require regular training on scents--whether for plants, narcotics, explosives, or snakes--to retain heightened awareness and to maintain their effectiveness. The brown tree snake that was used by DOA to train the dogs has since died, and it has taken DOA more than a year to receive a new snake. This bill will help ensure that DOA has a snake readily available for training when needed.

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. 554 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.