CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 165-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    S.B. No. 2850

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2850, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BIOSECURITY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to prevent and control the importation and spread of pests by:

     (1)  Statutorily establishing the Department of Agriculture's (DOA's) Biosecurity Program (Program); and

     (2)  Providing funding for the Program, and for the planning of interim and permanent joint inspection biosecurity facilities.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Providing that funds in the pest, quarantine, and eradication fund may be expended by DOA for biosecurity;

     (2)  Making an appropriation to the pest, quarantine, and eradication fund in the amount of $250,000 for the design and construction of the interim joint inspection facility and permanent joint inspection facility of DOA's biosecurity program;

     (3)  Making an appropriation from the pest inspection, quarantine, and eradication fund of the State of Hawaii in the amount of $6,000,000 to the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of this measure; and

     (4)  Amending the effective date of this measure to July 1, 2008.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2850, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2850, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ CLIFT TSUJI, Co-Chair	____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair
____________________________ HERMINA MORITA, Co-Chair	____________________________ RON MENOR, Co-Chair
____________________________ FAYE HANOHANO, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair