STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1193

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   S.B. No. 696

      S.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Tourism, Culture, & International Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 696, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COQUI FROGS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to address the problem of coqui frog infestations by authorizing the counties to use a portion of their transient accommodations tax collections (TAT) toward coqui frog eradication efforts.

     The Department of Agriculture and the Mayor of the County of Hawaii supported this bill.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted comments. 

     Your Committees recognize that TAT allocations provided to each county are used pursuant to each respective county's priorities, and that a county may already use TAT funds to finance coqui frog eradication efforts.  It is not the intent of your Committees to restrict or limit the authority of each county to use TAT allocations in accordance with its own priorities.  This measure reflects a policy statement by your Committees emphasizing their commitment to resolving the coqui frog problem. 

     In addition, discussion was held regarding the need to address other invasive species that threaten Hawaii's agriculture and ecosystem.  Your Committees support continued efforts to controlling and eradicating the broad spectrum of invasive threats that pose significant dangers to the state.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Tourism, Culture, & International Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 696, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Tourism, Culture, & International Affairs,

____________________________ JOEY MANAHAN, Chair

____________________________ CLIFT TSUJI, Chair