STAND. COM. REP. NO.  985

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1301

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1301, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to help protect Hawaii's environment by providing that a person or entity that is determined by the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to have knowingly or inadvertently introduced an invasive species into Hawaii is strictly liable for all expenses necessary to eradicate the introduced invasive species.

 

     Several individuals testified in support of the measure.  The Hawaii Insurers Council, Animal Rights Hawaii, and two individuals testified in opposition.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying that the person or entity may be strictly liable for all or part of the expenses that are necessary to eradicate the introduced invasive species from the State; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1301, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1301, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO, Chair