STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1315-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2560

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture & Food Systems and Water & Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2560, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide that each lease that the Department of Agriculture enters into, renews, or extends shall authorize the Department to:

(1) Enter the leased premises at any time to survey for, identify, investigate, control, or eradicate invasive pests;

(2) Require a lessee to maintain control of any invasive pests on the leased premises, at the lessee's expense; and

(3) Terminate the lease if the lessee refuses the Department entry or is found in violation of any applicable law, rule, or order relating to the control or eradication of invasive pests.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; and five individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council.

Your Committees find that the impacts of invasive species to Hawaii have been severe, negative, and expensive and have included serious habitat degradation, extinction of native species, increased wildfire risk, increases in the cost of agriculture and livestock production, and many other impacts. Authorizing the Department of Agriculture to better regulate lessees of agricultural lands will strengthen the State's efforts to mitigate the threats and impacts of invasive species.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing references to "invasive pest" with "pest";

(2) Adding language that ensures that the Department of Agriculture works with lessees to manage pests, including providing prior notification before entering premises, working with lessees to seek funding and develop a plan to control pests, and terminating a lease if a lessee refuses to work cooperatively toward the control of pests;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture & Food Systems and Water & Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2560, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2560, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture & Food Systems and Water & Land,

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair

____________________________ CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair