STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2633

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2629

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2629 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PESTICIDES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Health, to develop and implement a one-time pesticide disposal collection for a duration to be determined by the Department of Agriculture;

(2) Require the Department of Agriculture to convene a steering committee to guide and monitor the pesticide disposal collection program; and

(3) Make an appropriation.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Department of Health; Delaware Department of Agriculture; Hawaii Pest Control Association; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau Molokai Chapter; Larry Jefts Farms, LLC; Hawai‘i Food+ Policy Internship; CropLife America; Biotechnology Innovation Organization; Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; and eight individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that providing a safe and lawful method to dispose of banned, outdated, or unwanted pesticides is critical to the State's environmental management efforts. Additionally, more than forty states have successfully implemented similar programs. This measure requires the Department of Agriculture to implement a pesticide disposal collection program to support the State's environmental management efforts.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying language to align with existing language in the Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(2) Allowing the Department of Agriculture to determine the duration of the pesticide disposal collection program.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2629, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2629, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Health,

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair