STAND. COM. REP. NO.  352

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 871

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 871 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BIOSECURITY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to address the spread of invasive species that threatens Hawaii's economy, natural environment, and the health and lifestyle of its residents by:

 

(1)  Reaffirming that the Department of Agriculture's Biosecurity Program is vital to the State;

 

(2)  Clarifying access to and distribution of information provided to the Department's Plant Quarantine Branch for purposes of inspection, permitting, enforcement, and other regulatory functions;

 

(3)  Authorizing the Department to establish or participate in private-public partnerships to enhance the Biosecurity Program and quarantine inspection process; provided that Department employees perform the actual inspections;

 

(4)  Requiring the Department to adopt rules to establish parameters and construction requirements for biosecurity facilities, including cold storage facilities established by private-public partnerships; and

 

(5)  Appropriating funds to enable the Department to complete the implementation of its Biosecurity Program, including an integrated computer manifest system.

 

     The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Able Freight, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Maui County Farm Bureau, The Nature Conservancy, Hawaii Aquaculture & Aquaponics Association, Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association, and a concerned individual supported this measure.  A few concerned individuals opposed this measure.  The Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Information Practices, and Commodity Forwarders Inc. provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting all provisions relating to access to and distribution of information of the Department of Agriculture's Plant Quarantine Branch;

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to January 20, 2050; and

 

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

 

     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. 871, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 871, 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