STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1667

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 776

      S.D. 2

      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 S.B. No. 776, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, 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 mitigate the threats and impacts of invasive species in the State by:

     (1)  Restructuring the Hawaii Invasive Species Council into a new entity, the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority (Authority), to be attached administratively to the Department of Agriculture; and

     (2)  Appropriating funds for the operation of the Authority and for relevant interagency invasive species projects and research.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii Invasive Species Council, Kauai Invasive Species Committee, Conservation Council for Hawaii, Democratic Party of Hawaii, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Local Food Coalition, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Hawaii Green Growth, and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Mayor of the County of Hawaii and Hawaii Farm Bureau provided comments.

     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 S.B. No. 776, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair