STAND. COM. REP. NO.  986

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1359

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1359, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to protect Hawaii's environment and increase efforts to eradicate invasive species by authorizing each county to enact and enforce ordinances that are necessary to prevent, investigate, control, or eradicate invasive species on any public or private premises within the limits of the county.

The Mayor of the County of Hawaii, Mayor of the County of Maui, Chair of the Maui County Council, Hawaiian Electric Companies, Hawaii Association of Realtors, and several individuals testified in support.  The Hawaii Farm Bureau, Animal Rights Hawaii, For Forgotten Felines, and four individuals testified in opposition.  The Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and American Bird Conservancy provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by specifying that the invasive species to be eradicated shall be identified by the Hawaii Invasive Species Council.

     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 H.B. No. 1359, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1359, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO, Chair