Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 563 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to clarify laws regulating microorganism importation by repealing the Department of Agriculture's (DOA) authority to issue certificates that allow importers to import certain restricted or unlisted microorganisms.

DOA testified in support of this bill. Five concerned citizens offered comments.

DOA has testified that it has not implemented a certification program for importers of microorganisms, as allowed under part V of Chapter 150A, Hawaii Revised Statutes. According to DOA, the certification program is unnecessary and impractical, and lacks funding. Your Committee finds that regulation of microorganism importation is more efficiently achieved through other statutory and administrative rule provisions currently in place.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 563 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.