STAND. COM. REP. 567

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 182

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy and Environmental Protection and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 182 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BROWN TREE SNAKES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to assist the research and training of snake detector dogs by allowing the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to import four, live, sterile, male, brown tree snakes into the State.

DOA, the Maui Invasive Species Committee, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, and the Invasive Species Committee on each island supported this bill.

Your Committees understand that snake detector dogs require specific training on certain scents to retain heightened awareness. The brown tree snake that was used by the DOA to train the dogs has since passed away, and it has taken the DOA more than a year to receive a new snake. This bill is critical because it will ensure that the DOA has a snake available for training when needed.

 

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environmental Protection and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 182 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environmental Protection and Agriculture,

 

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FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair

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HERMINA M. MORITA, Chair