STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2699

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2399

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2399, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to restructure the Hawaii Invasive Species Council as the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority.

 

     Specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Establishes the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority to coordinate and address the control, eradication, and prevention of the introduction of invasive species;

 

(2)  Repeals the Invasive Species Council; and

 

(3)  Appropriates funds for the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority and interagency products and research related to invasive species.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, a member of the Hawaii County Council, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Ka Ohana O Na Pua, Local Food Coalition, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Sierra Club of Hawaii, OCC Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and eleven individuals.  

 

     Your Committee finds that establishing the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority is one of the key goals of the Hawaii Interagency Biosecurity Plan.  Your Committee further finds that under this measure, the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority will be the entity responsible for organizing the State's efforts for the prevention of the introduction of, early detection of, rapid response to, and control of invasive species in the State.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Adding language transferring the control of personnel, records, and other items of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to the Hawaii Invasive Species Authority;

(2)  Changing the amounts appropriated to unspecified amounts;

 

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2399, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2399, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair