STAND. COM. REP. NO.  196-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1905

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1905 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUNTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a Hawaii hunting participant permit for children from seven to ten years old which would allow a child to participate in hunting activities if accompanied by a licensed hunter at least eighteen years old and would waive the hunter education requirement for obtaining a hunting license.

The Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission, National Wild Turkey Federation, Hawaii Hunting Association, and many individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources, U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, National Rifle Association of America, and Hawaii Rifle Association submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the designation of the authorized permit from hunting participant to hunting apprentice permit;

     (2)  Specifying that any Hawaii resident over the age of seven who has never held a hunting license may be eligible for the permit;

     (3)  Specifying application, validity, and renewal policies for the permit;

     (4)  Raising the age requirement for the accompanying licensed hunter to twenty-one or older;

     (5)  Prohibiting a permit holder ten years old or younger from possessing or using loaded weapons, live ammunition, muzzleloading firing components, and broadhead arrows;

     (6)  Removing proposed languages that would have exempted a permit holder from hunter education requirements for obtaining a hunting license; and

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1905, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1905, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair