STAND. COM. REP. NO. 281-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1931

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1931 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOSQUITO CONTROL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to bolster the efforts by the Department of Land and Natural Resources to develop mosquito control measures by appropriating funds for the establishment of one full-time equivalent planner position in the Department of Land and Natural Resources related to mosquito control.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, The Nature Conservancy - Hawai‘i and Palmyra, American Bird Conservancy, and fourteen individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that non-native mosquitos pose significant threats to Hawaii, including adverse effects on human health, conservation, and the economy. Residents and visitors alike face health threats resulting from the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. Furthermore, mosquito-borne diseases have had a devastating impact on Hawaii's native bird populations and continue to be the leading driver in the ongoing extinction risk of most of Hawaii's remaining endemic honeycreepers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Recognizing the Department of Health's collaboration with the Department of Land and Natural Resources regarding mosquito control efforts;

(2) Changing the appropriation to establish a program specialist position, rather than a planner position;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1931, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1931, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair