STAND. COM. REP. NO. 39

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 353

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 353 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriate funds for plans of a biological control containment facility on Oahu.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and The Nature Conservancy.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Agriculture recently released its Hawaii Interagency Biosecurity Plan, which states that in order for biosecurity to work, the Department of Agriculture's biocontrol program needs adequate resources, including state-of-the-art biocontrol facilities, equipped to develop effective biocontrol for some of Hawaii's high-impact and widespread invasive species that are difficult to control through conventional methods.  Your Committee finds that funding is needed to update the current, antiquated biological control containment facility into a state-of-the-art laboratory to reach the goals of the biosecurity plan.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 353 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair