STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2622

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2523

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2523, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the Department of Agriculture to:

     (1)  Regulate or prohibit the sale of plants or portions of plants designated as restricted plants or noxious weeds;

     (2)  Designate, by rule, as restricted plants, specific plants that may be detrimental or potentially harmful.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; Conservation Council for Hawaii; The Nature Conservancy; and the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter.

     Your Committee finds that by updating statutes regarding the importation of plants and the scope of related Department of Agriculture administrative rules, this measure will reduce the risk that imported plants or plant parts will introduce pests, diseases, or invasive plant species into the State.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2523, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair