STAND. COM. REP. NO. 13

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 387

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 387 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SERVICE ANIMALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Agriculture to be responsible for all neighbor island inspection permit fees for service animals that are located in the State and are being transported for release at Kona, Kahului, or Lihue airports, and to appropriate funds accordingly.

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

Your Committee finds that the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu is the only port of entry for dogs and cats entering the State, unless a valid neighbor island inspection permit (NIIP) has been issued by the Department of Agriculture. This is because the Department's Animal Quarantine Program only has staff on Oahu, and as a result, the Department authorizes certain private veterinary facilities to conduct entry inspections for qualified dogs and cats at specific neighbor island airports. While the Department does not charge a fee for a NIIP for a service animal, private veterinary facilities establish and collect their own fees to conduct the necessary inspections to obtain the NIIPs due to a lack of Department facilities at neighbor island airports. Accordingly, to ensure that individuals with disabilities are treated equitably across the State, it is the intent of this measure that the Department of Agriculture cover any costs associated with conducting the necessary inspections to obtain an NIIP for service animals being released at certain neighbor island airports.

Your Committee notes the testimony of the Department of Agriculture requesting permanent, dedicated funding on an annual basis to cover the costs associated with inspections of service animals pursuant to this measure. Your Committee respectfully requests that this issue be examined further by subsequent committees who may choose to deliberate on this measure as it moves through the legislative process.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

Your Committee has heard the testimony of the Department of Agriculture requesting permanent dedicated funding for the purposes of this measure on an annual basis and requests that this request be further examined as this measure moves forward in the legislative process.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 387, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 387, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair