STAND. COM. REP. NO. 745

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 140

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 140, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require firewood imported into the State from another state to be heat-treated or imported under certain exemptions to prevent the spread of invasive pests.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council, Mayor of the County of Maui, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Coordinating Group or Alien Pest Species, and two individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that the growth and spread of invasive pests have increasingly posed a significant risk to the native wildlife in the State. A number of invasive pests and diseases have been known to travel in or on domestic firewood and pose a danger to the State's forests and natural resources. Your Committee further finds there has been a lack of progress in adopting administrative rules and regulations concerning the standards for treating firewood imported into the State. This measure seeks to fill the existing biosecurity gap by adopting the model language of the firewood treatment standards proposed by the National Plant Board to prevent the spread of pests through firewood.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Extending certain requirements to the transportation or sale of firewood in the State;

(2) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

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

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 140, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 140, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair