STAND. COM. REP. NO. 438-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2051

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2051, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide additional funding for state inspections and other agencies to prevent invasive species from being imported along with animals and goods brought into the state by:

(1) Authorizing the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to charge appropriate user fees for inspection and other services provided under Chapter 150A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, Plant and Non-Domestic Animal Quarantine and Microorganism Import, in addition to the fees already authorized for services related to the importation of animals and seeds; and

(2) Establishing an Invasive Species Special Fund (Fund) into which all fees related to services provided by DOA for invasive species prevention are to be deposited, administered by DOA, and used to cover the costs of these services.

The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Sierra Club, and Hawaii Audubon Society and a member of the Maui County Council testified in support of this measure. The Board of Agriculture supported the intent of this bill with amendments.

Your Committee notes that the State in partnerships with other agencies already has an established invasive species control mechanism. The additional funding this bill would provide through user fees would enhance the State's authority and capability to implement programs to control entry of invasive species into the State.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Clarifying that the revenues collected from the user fees will not be used to replace general funds;

(2) Removing permitting as a service for which fees are to be deposited into the Fund;

(3) Allowing DOA to deposit grants and gifts into the Fund, in addition to State appropriations;

(4) Adding an appropriation section to authorize expenditures from Fund and designating DOA as the expending agency; and

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

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. 2051, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2051, H.D. 2.

 

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

____________________________

FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair