STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2039

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2026

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2026 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUNTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a Hawaii apprentice hunting license program to allow persons age ten and older to experience hunting with a licensed adult mentor without first obtaining a hunting license.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the County of Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission; Hawaii Hunting Association; Hunting, Farming, and Fishing Association; the Society for Hawaii Heritage Animals; National Wild Turkey Federation; Babooze Bowstrings; GMAC; and five individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

     Your Committee finds that an apprentice hunting license program would provide an opportunity to those persons who may be interested in hunting but are unwilling or unable to commit to the requirements of a hunting license to experience hunting.  Your Committee further finds that such apprentice hunting experience may lead to a greater number of persons eventually obtaining hunting licenses.

     Your Committee requested the Hawaii Hunting Association and Department of Land and Natural Resources to reach agreement on this measure; however, an agreement has not yet been met regarding the age eligibility requirement.  Your Committee recommends passage of this measure on Second Reading to facilitate further discussion on the issue of age eligibility.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending language to make an apprentice hunting license valid for twelve months, from July 1 until June 30, rather than twelve months from the date of issuance; and

     (2)  Inserting language to cap the age eligibility for an apprentice hunting license at age seventeen.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2026, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2026, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair