Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2051 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide partial funding for state inspections and other services necessary to prevent invasive species from being imported along with animals and goods brought into the state, by authorizing the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to charge user fees for inspection, quarantine, and other regulatory activities under Chapter 150A, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), Plant and Non-Domestic Animal Quarantine and Microorganism.

The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Hawaii Audubon Society, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Sierra Club, Invasive Species Committees of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Hawaii and a member of the Maui County Council supported this bill. Testimony in support of the intent of the bill was provided by the DOA.

Your Committee finds that alien species pose a tremendous threat to Hawaii's native, endemic, and endangered organisms. This threat can best be addressed through early detection and prevention at the point of entry at Hawaii's ports. However, DOA does not have enough staff and resources to perform the inspections, quarantine, and other services that are necessary.

This bill would provide DOA with a portion of the needed funding, by authorizing a reasonable fee to be paid by those who benefit from the importation of animals, goods, and other articles into the State.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2051, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2051, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Agriculture.