STAND. COM. REP. NO. 235-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2061

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 Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2061 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ANIMAL INDUSTRY SPECIAL FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to bolster the Animal Industry Special Fund by authorizing revenues from fees for diagnostic, surveillance, and other work by the Animal Industry Division Veterinary Laboratory and Animal Disease Control Branch to be deposited into the special fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Farm Bureau. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that private veterinarians submit test samples to diagnostic laboratories located outside the State for diagnostics that they are unable to run in their hospitals. The long-term goal for the State Veterinary Laboratory is to be able to perform molecular diagnostics of diseases that are already impacting or are a threat to local industries. This measure will assist with the operations of the State Veterinary Laboratory in providing necessary veterinary diagnostics in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2061, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2061, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair