STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2928

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1943

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1943, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide funding for detector-dog inspector positions within the Department of Agriculture.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, The Nature Conservancy, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that the detector-dog program provides an important resource to improve the prevention of the introduction or spread of invasive species in Hawaii.  Previously, the detector-dog inspector program was funded through federal monies and was therefore limited to brown tree snake interdiction.  Appropriating state funds for this program will allow the Department of Agriculture to use detector dogs for other types of invasive species prevention related activities.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $162,540; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1943, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1943, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair