CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 126

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 808

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 808, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SHARK AND RAY PROTECTION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to protect the marine ecosystem for ecological, recreational, and cultural purposes by:

(1) Establishing a misdemeanor offense, fines, and administrative penalties for knowingly capturing, taking, possessing, abusing, entangling, or killing any shark in state marine waters; and

(2) Expanding the existing misdemeanor offense for knowingly capturing or killing a manta ray in state marine waters to apply to all rays in state marine waters and to also include knowingly taking, possessing, abusing, or entangling any ray.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its purpose section;

(2) Deleting the new misdemeanor offense for knowingly capturing, taking, possessing, abusing, entangling, or killing any shark in state marine waters;

(3) Directing, rather than authorizing, the Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statues, to define the take of ray and to determine when a take exceeds the potential biological removal level;

(4) Changing its effective date to upon approval; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 808, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 808, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE Chair	____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE Co-Chair
____________________________ KARL RHOADS Co-Chair	____________________________ CHRIS LEE Co-Chair
____________________________ DRU MAMO KANUHA Co-Chair	____________________________ SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO Co-Chair