STAND. COM. REP. NO. 882

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1568

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1568, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Aloha Tower Development Corporation to provide biosecurity and inspection facilities to the Department of Agriculture at the Aloha Tower Complex, and to require the Department of Transportation to provide biosecurity and inspection facilities to the Department of Agriculture at various harbors and airports; and

     (2)  Make an appropriation for the Department of Agriculture to reimburse the Department of Transportation for establishing biosecurity and inspection facilities.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Mayors of the City and County of Honolulu, Maui, and Hawai‘i, Maui Invasive Species Committee, The Nature Conservancy, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Maui Hotel and Lodging Association, and six individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Airlines Committee of Hawaii and Air Transport Association.

     Your Committees find that the efficient and secure movement of agricultural commodities - whether imported into the State, exported out of the State, or transported between the islands of the State - is key to the long-term viability of Hawaii's agriculture industry.  The inspection and proper treatment of incoming and outgoing commodities reduce the probability of the introduction of new pests to Hawaii's agricultural industry and reduce the likelihood of a quarantine on Hawaii's exported goods.

Your Committees further find that appropriate inspection facilities and consistent inspection activities are crucial to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the environment, as transportation by air and sea have been identified as the risk pathways for invasive species into the State of Hawaii.  The intent of your Committees is to reduce the likelihood of economic losses associated with additional invasive species introductions, as well as to avoid the imposition of a quarantine on Hawaii’s exported goods.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the Department of Transportation is entitled to reimbursement in full from the Department of Agriculture and the Aloha Tower Development Corporation, as applicable, for the costs of design and construction of biosecurity and inspection facilities at the Aloha Tower Complex;

     (2)  Clarifying that the Department of Transportation is entitled to reimbursement in full from the Department of Agriculture for the costs of design and construction of biosecurity and inspection facilities at the airports and harbors;

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2011; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1568, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1568, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and International Affairs and Agriculture,

____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair