STAND. COM. REP. NO. 238-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2301

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2301 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to effectively mitigate the threats and impacts of invasive species on Hawaii's economy, natural environment, health, and lifestyle, and implement the Hawaii Interagency Biosecurity Plan by:

(1) Reorganizing the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (Council), an interagency coordinating body without dedicated staff or funding, into the statutorily established Hawaii Invasive Species Authority (Authority) within the Department of Agriculture;

(2) Adding additional expertise, staff, and new duties to the Authority;

(3) Appropriating $500,000 to the Council; and

(4) Appropriating $10,000,000 for interagency projects and research related to invasive species.

The Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc., Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, and Local Food Coalition supported this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing all appropriation amounts to unspecified sums;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2150, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Should your Committee on Finance deliberate on this matter further, your Committee on Agriculture respectfully requests that it consider appropriating:

(1) $500,000 to the Council to enable it to operate effectively during the transition period prior to the Authority becoming operational; and

(2) $10,000,000 to be allocated by the Authority for interagency projects and research related to invasive species.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2301, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2301, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair