STAND. COM. REP. NO.402-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2212

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy and Environmental Protection and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2212 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ALIEN INVASIVE SPECIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Create an administrator/coordinator position administratively attached to the Office of the Governor to coordinate state efforts related to controlling invasive species;

(2) Allow the administrator/coordinator to appoint an advisory body to advise and assist in efforts relating to invasive species;

(3) Require the administrator/coordinator to designate a lead state agency for each invasive species identified to coordinate efforts relating to that species; and

(4) Allow the Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Land and Natural Resources to enter premises on private, state, or county property to control or eradicate invasive species.

The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, and Hawaii's Thousand Friends submitted testimony in support of this bill. The Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted testimony in support of the intent of this bill. The Department of Agriculture submitted testimony in opposition to this bill.

Your Committees find that this bill addresses the potentially devastating threat to native plants and animals and the human population in Hawaii posed by invasive alien species. As Hawaii's economy is so closely tied to the beauty and pristine nature of Hawaii's environment, we cannot afford to let these alien species take hold.

Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Replacing the administrator/coordinator position with the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (Council);

(2) Specifying that the Council shall be composed of the President of the University of Hawaii and the heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources, Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Health, Transportation, and Commerce and Consumer Affairs;

(3) Deleting provisions relating to the designation of lead state agencies;

(4) Deleting the authorization for the Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Land and Natural Resources to enter premises to control or eradicate invasive species;

(5) Appropriating funds to an unspecified state agency to which the Council shall be attached administratively to facilitate further discussion; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environmental Protection and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2212, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2212, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environmental Protection and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

 

____________________________

ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair

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HERMINA M. MORITA, Chair