STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1535

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1339

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1339, H.D. 1, 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 restructure the Hawaii Invasive Species Council as the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority, and to provide the new entity with expanded authority and funding to hire staff and carry out interagency invasive species efforts.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, Hawaii Invasive Species Council, University of Hawaii, Little Fire Ant HUI, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Conservation Council for Hawaii, The Nature Conservancy, Local Food Coalition, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Hawaii Green Growth, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, and two individuals.

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Mayor of the County of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Invasive Species Council was established in 2003 to perform a broad spectrum of policy and coordination duties relating to the management and control of invasive species in the State.  However, a lack of staff and resources and the multi-agency organizational structure of the Council prevented the Council from maximizing its efforts to address invasive species in the State.  Your Committee further finds that by establishing the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority, this measure will focus the authority and responsibility for management and control of invasive species under a single entity and will provide the Authority with dedicated staff and resources to fulfill its mandate.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     Your Committee has included a $4,000,000 appropriation for the Hawaii Invasive Species Council for fiscal year 2017-2018, but no appropriation for fiscal year 2018-2019, in Senate Draft 1 of House Bill No. 100, the General Appropriations Act.  Your Committee intends to monitor the progress of this measure and the status of creating the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority before deciding on an appropriation for fiscal year 2018-2019.

     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 H.B. No. 1339, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1339, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair