Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1554 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to permanently establish the Emergency Environmental Workforce program and make an appropriation therefor.

The Emergency Environmental Workforce was established in response to the September 11, 2001 national tragedy. The Workforce was intended as a temporary measure to assist residents of Hawaii who were negatively impacted with reduced work schedules or layoffs caused by the September 11th attack. The Workforce, however, was very successful in combating invasive species by containing the dengue fever epidemic, controlling the spread of the miconia plant and other invasive species, and reducing the coqui frog and fire ant populations.

This measure recognizes the success of the Workforce by making the Workforce permanent and by providing funds to allow the Workforce to continue its work of containing the spread of, or eliminating invasive species in Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended the bill by changing the amount appropriated to a blank amount for the purpose of continuing discussion on this matter, and by making technical amendments that have no substantive effect.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1554, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1554, S.D. 1.