STAND. COM. REP. NO. 724-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2593

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. 2593 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FERAL CATS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to humanely address the exponential increases in the feral cat population by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Health to contract with a nonprofit animal rescue group to oversee caretakers of feral cats;

(2) Exempting registered feral cat caretakers from state and county laws relating to the feeding and confinement of cats; and

(3) Establishing a feral cat trap-sterilize-return process.

The Pacific Pet Alliance, Wild Bird Rehab Haven, Poi Dogs & Popoki, The Pacific Cooperative Studies Program, Hearts for Animals, Inc., and many concerned individuals supported this measure. The Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Hui Pono Holoholona, American Bird Conservancy, Native Ecosystem Services LLC, and numerous concerned individuals opposed this measure. The Humane Society of the United States, Hawaiian Humane Society, Hawaii Cat Foundation, and a concerned individual provided comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the Department of Health as the lead agency for the feral cat caretaker program and leaving the state lead agency unspecified; and

(2) Changing its effective date to July 31, 2150, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee notes that The Humane Society of the United States expressed a number of concerns regarding this measure and provided proposed amendments to address those concerns. Should your Committee on Finance deliberate on this matter further, it may consider the appropriateness of the proposed amendments.

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. 2593, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2593, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair