HSCR7

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 7

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2017

RE: H.B. No. 228

H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 228 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the designation of invasive plants as pests and to simplify the process for listing invasive plants on the restricted plants list and the noxious weeds list by including high risk plants, as rated by the Hawaii Pacific Weed Risk Assessment, on those lists, thereby preventing the importation, sale, and uncontrolled spread of invasive species.

The Member representing the Third District on the Hawaii County Council, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, and a few individuals supported this measure. The Department of Agriculture supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Permitting the sale of otherwise prohibited invasive plants if such sale is permitted by the Department of Agriculture and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council; 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 Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 228, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 228, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Agriculture.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair