STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3017

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2503

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2503, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to temporarily expand the permissible uses of the pesticide use revolving fund.

Specifically, the bill removes the limitation on the use of moneys from the fund for personnel costs to cover only employees in the registration and education section of the pesticides branch of the Department of Agriculture.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture.  The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii submitted written comments opposing this measure.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that compliance monitoring of safe pesticide use and storage is integral to ensuring protection of the public and the environment.  Your Committee further finds that this measure will enable the Department of Agriculture to fund compliance monitoring personnel using moneys in the pesticide use revolving fund.  This measure will give the Department of Agriculture the flexibility to maintain services that are necessary to provide adequate pesticide monitoring in the marketplace and at ports of entry.

     Your Committee amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2055, to facilitate further discussion on this measure; and

     (2)  Making a technical amendment to clarify the name of the pesticide use revolving fund.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2503, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2503, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair