STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1239-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   S.B. No. 2156

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2156, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WILDLIFE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow the Department of Land and Natural Resources to become a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a multistate agreement that promotes enforcement of hunting, fishing, trapping and other wildlife related regulations across jurisdictions, or similar agreement.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Conservation Council for Hawaii, Animal Rights Hawaii, Humane Society of the United States-Hawaii, Humane Society International, Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact Board of Compact Administrators, For the Fishes, and NSEFU Wildlife Conservation Foundation supported this measure.  One individual provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Removing the provisions that allowed for employees of the Department to obtain immunity from civil liability, legal representation, and indemnification when acting in accordance with the terms of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact or similar agreement; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2156, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2156, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair