STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1555

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.R. No. 36

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.R. No. 36 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING EACH COUNTY TO ESTABLISH ITS OWN BIOSECURITY PLAN THAT PRIORITIZES THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to encourage each county to establish its own biosecurity plan prioritizing the needs of the county, to encourage collaboration between counties in developing its biosecurity plan, and to encourage sharing each county's findings and biosecurity plan and collaborate with the State, including the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Invasive Species Council.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Expanding each county's biosecurity plan to include identifying proposals for legislative changes at the State and county levels; and

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

Your Committee finds that the impacts of invasive species on the State lead to habitat degradation, extinction of native species, and rising costs in agriculture and livestock production, and that strengthening biosecurity is critical in preventing the introduction and spread of invasive species that threaten the local ecosystems, food security, and public health. Your Committee further finds that each county faces unique biosecurity challenges, thus localized approaches to strengthening biosecurity at the county level will enable proactive identification of risks, enhance early detection and rapid response efforts, and improve coordination with state and federal agencies, while also allowing each county to prioritize its biosecurity needs and develop community-based strategies for invasive species mitigation. This measure encourages each county to establish a localized approach for strengthening its biosecurity plan and to collaborate and share its biosecurity plan and findings with other counties and the State, including the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Invasive Species Council.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 36, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 36, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

____________________________

KIRSTIN KAHALOA, Chair