STAND. COM. REP. NO.  970

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 655

      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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 655 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to direct the Department of Land and Natural Resources to assist and provide supplemental funding to the National Wildlife Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to research the negative impacts of the rose-ringed parakeet on Kauai and develop and implement a control plan to reduce those negative impacts.  This measure also appropriates funds for this purpose.

The Department of Agriculture, County of Kauai Office of Economic Development, Kauai Invasive Species Committee, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Dow AgroSciences, and one individual testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriation amount from $180,000 to an unspecified amount;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 655, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 655, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair