STAND. COM. REP. NO. 547

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1066

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1066 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a fee for the inspection of invasive species at State ports of entry and establish the Invasive Species Inspection, Quarantine, and Eradication Fund.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of the Attorney General; the Department of Land and Natural Resources; the Department of Transportation; the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i; Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, the Oahu County Committee; Sierra Club, Hawai‘i Chapter; Hawaii Audubon Society; Hawaii Forest Industry Association; Airlines Committee of Hawaii; and The Nature Conservancy.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Budget and Finance; Horizon Lines; Maui County Farm Bureau; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; and Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. and Matson Navigation Company, Inc.  Comments were submitted by the Department of Agriculture.

     Your Committee finds that invasive species are one of the most significant threats to the environment, culture, economy, and quality of life in Hawaii.  The lack of adequate and sustainable funding is the single greatest problem that State, Federal, and private agencies face in the fight to protect Hawaii from harmful invasive species.  Increased inspection at ports of entry will help prevent new invasive species from becoming established by proactively preventing their entry through enhanced vigilance.  Your Committee believes that increasing inspection efforts is ultimately more cost-effective than trying to control the spread of an invasive species once they are in Hawaii.

     Your Committee further finds that the fee serves as an important funding mechanism for invasive species prevention and control.

     Your Committee amended this measure by eliminating the proposed definitions, inserting the term "article", and replacing the term "invasive species" with "pest" in the proposed new sections in order to conform the language contained in the proposed new sections with existing provisions in the Hawaii Revised Statutes, and to avoid conflict or overlap with the Permit Revolving Fund, found in section 150A-6.7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, or the Microorganism Revolving Fund, found in section 150A-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Your Committee further amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, in order to encourage further discussion on this matter.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1066, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1066, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Environment,

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair