STAND. COM. REP. NO.  647

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 871

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 871, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BIOSECURITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to help protect the fragile ecosystem of the State and prevent harm to economically important agricultural crops by:

(1)  Authorizing the Department of Agriculture to establish or participate in private-public partnerships to enhance the Department's biosecurity program and inspection process; and

(2)  Appropriating funds to complete the implementation of its biosecurity program and enhance the quarantine inspection process.

The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Nature Conservancy, Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Hawaii Invasive Species Council provided comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 871, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair