STAND. COM. REP. NO. 973

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 663

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 663, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OCEAN RESOURCES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to authorize administrative inspections of containers used to transport aquatic life, to repeal the probable cause requirement for searches, and to direct the Department of Land and Natural Resources to create an administrative inspection scheme to enable the department to determine compliance with the terms of a license; permit or registration relating to aquatic life.

 

     Your Committee finds that the probable cause requirement has hindered the protection of Hawaii's ocean resources such as coral, fishes, and other marine life, and that an inspection scheme for regulatory purposes will allow inspections of vessels, containers, coolers, carriers or vehicles owned by the licensee, permittee or registrant to determine compliance.  Instances of smuggling of these resources from Hawaii's ocean should be reduced by an inspection scheme.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Ocean Law and Policy Institute and from several private citizens.  There was no testimony opposing the bill.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 663, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair