STAND. COM. REP. NO. 719

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1449

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1449, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PLANT CARE COMPONENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules and establish administrative penalties to enforce the Plant Care Component Program; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the Plant Care Component Program and certain positions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; and Carol Kwan Consulting LLC.

Your Committee finds that it is critically important to prevent destructive invasive species from entering the State. Your Committee further finds that Act 197, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024 (Act 197), took a critical step in the more stringent regulation of plant components. This measure adds critical support to Act 197 by authorizing penalties for violations related to the plant care components law and establishing positions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Department of Agriculture shall adopt, amend, and repeal rules concerning plant care components; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $471,168 for:

(1) One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent civil service plant quarantine inspector IV position; and

(2) Seven full-time equivalent (7.0 FTE) permanent civil service plant quarantine inspector III positions.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1449, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1449, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair