STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2648

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3275

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 Transportation and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 3275 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit any person from using a state-owned road, street, or highway to transport endangered marine species harvested from state waters for commercial purposes, and marine species harvested from state waters for non-subsistence commercial purposes.

Prior to decision making on this measure, your Committees made available for public review a proposed S.D. 1 of this measure. The proposed S.D. 1 prohibits any person from using a public road, street, highway, or similar thoroughfare to transport endangered marine species harvested from state waters for commercial purposes and marine species harvested from state waters for commercial aquarium purposes.

Your Committees received testimony in support of the proposed S.D. 1 from the Legacy Reef Foundation, Big Island Reef Keepers Alliance, and four individuals. Your Committees received comments on the proposed S.D. 1 from the Department of Transportation, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and one individual.

Your Committees find that illegal poaching and extraction of marine species, rare corals, and fish for commercial gain are serious problems in Hawaii and are heightened by challenges in enforcing applicable laws. Your Committees find that prohibiting the transportation of illegal takes provides law enforcement with an additional tool to stop illegal trophy hunting and profiteering from Hawaiian waters.

Your Committees have amended this measure by adopting the proposed S.D. 1 and further amending the measure by:

(1) Removing references to endangered species;

(2) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3275, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3275, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair