STAND. COM. REP. NO.  23

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 904

      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. 904 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a mechanism for the rapid response to invasive species threats by establishing the Invasive Species Rapid Response Special Fund within the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The Department of Agriculture; Conservation Council for Hawaii; Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species; Sierra Club of Hawaii; and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Best Friends Animal Society and an individual testified in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to January 28, 2081, to encourage further discussion.

     Should the House Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure, your Committee requests inserting an appropriation amount of $300,000.

     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. 904, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 904, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair