STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2573

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2714

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2714 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE SNAIL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to designate the pūpū kuahiwi as the official state snail.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Bishop Museum, and five individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that the pūpū kuahiwi is one of the few living representatives of the Amastridae family, the only family entirely comprised of species found only from Hawaii. According to testimony received by your Committee, there is currently less than fifty percent of the seven hundred and fifty unique Hawaiian land snails remaining on our islands. Your Committee further finds that the adoption of this measure will increase awareness of the imperiled status of Hawaiian land snails, preserve their cultural and ecological significance, and encourage continued conservation of native Hawaiian species.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

Your Committee notes that the pūpū kuahiwi is only found on the Waianae Range of Oahu. Accordingly, your Committee invites Bishop Museum and the Department of Land and Natural Resources to suggest language during this session that introduces additional snails, each of which is endemic to a Hawaiian island, to create a unique official state family of snails.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2714, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2714, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

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LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair