STAND. COM. REP. NO.  371-10

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2948

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2948 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to protect agriculture in Hawaii by:

 

     (1)  Establishing restrictions on the interisland movement of agricultural and nonagricultural articles capable of harboring pests;

 

     (2)  Expanding the requirements for arrival notification for marine vessels and aircraft;

 

     (3)  Broadening inspectors' authority to quarantine or inspect;

 

     (4)  Requiring the labeling of containers that hold nonagricultural articles; and

 

     (5)  Establishing violations of conditions of importation or interisland movement of agricultural and nonagricultural articles as a misdemeanor offense and increasing the fine for violators.

 

     The Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii testified in support of this bill.  Young Brothers, Limited, supported the intent of this measure.  Hawaiian Airlines and Airlines Committee of Hawaii provided comments.

 

     Your Committee notes that if less than container load shipments were to stop due to the restrictions and fines imposed in this bill, it would have a devastating effect on Maui.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to January 20, 2020, to facilitate further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of 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. 2948, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2948, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair