STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1210

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1924

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1924, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ERADICATION AND CONTROL OF THE COQUI FROG,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to protect the State from the harmful effects of the coqui frog.

 

     Specifically, this measure makes an appropriation to eradicate and control the spread of the coqui frog statewide and to support the Coqui Frog Working Group Incident Action Plan.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the mayor of the County of Maui; the Council Chair and a member of the Maui County Council; Hawaii Agriculture Research Center; Maui Outdoor Circle; and the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter and Maui Group.  The Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii submitted testimony supporting the intent of the measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that the invasion and establishment of the coqui frog in Hawaii is of major concern to its native species, environment, and to the quiet enjoyment of its residents.  Your Committee further finds that the problem needs to be addressed in each county.

 

     This measure was amended to conform to Senate Bill No. 1627, S.D. 1, which was significantly similar, and to designate the amount to be appropriated to the County of Kauai.  As a result, the following changes have been made to this measure:

 

     (1)  Appropriations were made to each county in the 2007-2008 fiscal year for grants-in-aid to be expended by the respective county in the following manner:

 

          (A)  Hawaii county in the amount of $2,000,000;

 

          (B)  Maui county in the amount of $750,000;

 

          (C)  Kauai county in the amount of $300,000; and

 

          (D)  The City and County of Honolulu in an unspecified amount;

 

     (2)  The effective date was changed to July 1, 2007; and

 

     (3)  Various technical, nonsubstantive changes were made for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1924, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1924, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Environment,

 

 

 

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair