STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1578

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 77

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.R. No. 77 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION MAUI AXIS DEER CONTROL AND VENISON INITIATIVE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Urge the Department of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture of the County of Maui to:

(A) Take further meaningful action to address the axis deer overpopulation; and

(B) Convene a joint task force to oversee the County of Maui program that would aim to investigate and develop plans to make affordable the processing of locally hunted axis deer meat and the distribution of this venison to the community; and

(2) Request the joint task force to submit a report to the Legislature before November 30, 2025.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; and two individuals.

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

Your Committee finds that the axis deer overpopulation poses a threat to the State. Your Committee recognizes the benefit that axis deer can provide as protein to under-resourced segments of the State's communities. This measure aims to address axis deer overpopulation, in part, through convening a joint task force to oversee a Maui county program facilitating the processing and distribution of venison in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending its title accordingly; and

(2) 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 Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 77, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 77, S.D. 1.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair