STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2999

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2244

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2244, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE INSPECTORS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Agriculture to adopt, amend, and repeal rules to enable the Department to establish, maintain, and enforce compliance agreements with federal or state departments of agriculture, and to assess fees for conducting inspections required under compliance agreements.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i, and one individual. 

     Your Committees find that the impact of invasive species to Hawaii's agriculture, environment, natural resources, public health, and economy requires the State to have an effective biosecurity program.  Due to an insufficient number of agriculture inspectors, it is important that the Department of Agriculture have the authority to enter into compliance agreements with the United States Department of Agriculture and other state departments of agriculture which will allow for greater collaboration and cooperation in biosecurity.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding language to clarify that this measure directs the Department of Agriculture to adopt, amend, or repeal rules to enable the Department to establish, maintain, and enforce compliance agreements with federal and state departments of agriculture specifically as to the import and export of plant commodities; and

     (2)  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 Agriculture and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2244, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2244, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair