STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2492

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2401

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2401 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FERAL CHICKENS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the City and County of Honolulu and the Department of Health for a feral chicken control program and a feeding of feral animals education program, respectively.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services, Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, and Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committees find that feral chickens and roosters are a persistent nuisance, particularly in suburban and urban residential communities. Feral chickens and roosters destroy gardens, dig up plants, damage food crops, and jeopardize native plants and resources. Additionally, roosters crow at all times of the day and night, leading to numerous noise complaints by residents. Unsanitary droppings from feral chickens and roosters can further create health concerns and threaten Hawaii's ecosystem, natural resources, and the health and safety of its residents. Your Committees therefore find that, to protect Hawaii's ecosystem, natural resources, and the safety and health of its residents from feral chickens and roosters, this measure is necessary to appropriate implement a control program and feeding feral animals education campaign.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation of $50,000 for each county for a feral animal control program; and

(2) Updating section 1 to reflect its amended purpose.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2401, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2401, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair