STAND. COM. REP. NO. 253

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1261

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 1261 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE INTERSTATE WILDLIFE VIOLATOR COMPACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Land and Natural Resources to enter into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact or similar agreement for mutual assistance in the enforcement of wildlife laws.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaiian Humane Society, For the Fishes, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Association for Justice.

Your Committee finds that the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact is a multistate agreement that promotes enforcement of hunting, fishing, trapping, and other wildlife related regulations across jurisdictions and could prevent wildlife violators who have lost their hunting, fishing, trapping, or other wildlife related privileges in other member states from obtaining a hunting license in Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact is a common sense way for states to share information on violators who have lost their hunting, fishing, trapping, or other wildlife related privileges and that Hawaii should be participating in this agreement.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have provided civil liability immunity to employees of the Department of Land and Natural Resources administering or enforcing the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact;

(2) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1261, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1261, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

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KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair