STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 866-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 2263

H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2263, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to prevent the importation of invasive species into the state by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to establish a schedule of service fees and charges to be paid by importers for invasive species inspection, quarantine, and eradication services; and

(2) Establishing the Invasive Species Inspection, Quarantine, and Eradication Fund (Fund) to be used for the operation of inspection and monitoring programs at ports of entry and for emergency remedial measures when invasive species are detected.

DOA, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Conservation Council for Hawaii, Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii, Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc., KAHEA, and Meadow Gold Dairies testified in support of this measure. The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, and the Airlines Committee of Hawaii supported the intent of this bill. Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., and Matson Navigation Company, Inc., opposed this measure. The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and Maui County Farm Bureau submitted comments.

Your Committee recognizes the critical need to prevent invasive species from further decimating our natural environment. However, your Committee is also cognizant of the fact that the method of funding contained in this measure may not be the most prudent.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the requirement that DOA establish a schedule of service fees and charges;

(2) Deleting fees for permits and inspections from the list of items that are required to be deposited into the Fund;

(3) Appropriating an unspecified amount of general funds to

be deposited into the Fund and used for the purposes of the Fund;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to promote further discussion on this matter; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2263, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2263, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

		____________________________ DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair