STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2620

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2116

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2116 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BIOSECURITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to ensure that terrestrial and aquatic biosecurity threats are neutralized during the early stages of a biosecurity emergency.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes the biosecurity emergency response special fund and appropriates moneys for the special fund;

(2) Creates procedures for biosecurity emergencies to be declared by the Governor and moneys to be expended from the fund; and

(3) Requires the Department of Agriculture to make an accounting of moneys expended from the fund and to include that information in its annual report to the Legislature.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, the Hawaii County Council, the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, the Democratic Party of Hawaii's Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities, and twelve private individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and the State Procurement Office.

Your Committee finds that rapid response to newly detected invasive pest species would minimize the establishment and impact of these species.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the amount appropriated for deposit into the biosecurity emergency response special fund and the amount appropriated out of the special fund from $300,000 to unspecified amounts;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2116, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2116, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair