STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2805

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2799

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2799, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to enhance the State's invasive species programs and restructure the Hawaii Invasive Species Council into a new entity, the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority, to be administratively attached to the Department of Agriculture.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Conservation Council for Hawaii, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Green Growth, Hawaii Invasive Species Council, Hawaii Island School Garden Network, Kauai Watershed Alliance, Local Food Coalition, The Nature Conservancy, Oahu Invasive Species Committee, Ulupono Initiative, and one individual.

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that invasive species pose constant threats to flora, fauna, agriculture, and public health in the State.  Establishing the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority as an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture and enhancing the State's invasive species prevention, early detection, rapid response, control, enforcement, and outreach programs will help protect the environment, human health, culture, and the economy.

     Your Committee further finds that the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority should be required to include, in its annual reports to the Legislature, updates on the authority's biosecurity efforts and the direct assistance those efforts provide to agriculture and farmers.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing appropriation amounts of $900,000 for Hawaii Invasive Species Authority administration and $10,000,000 for programs of the authority to unspecified amounts;

     (2)  Adding updates on biosecurity efforts and direct assistance to agriculture and farmers to the authority's required annual report contents; and

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2799, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2799, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair