STAND. COM. REP. NO.  416

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2019

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1162

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1162 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PET BOARDING FACILITIES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to regulate pet boarding facilities by establishing a new chapter in the Hawaii Revised Statutes that provides physical and operational requirements for pet boarding facilities, imposes penalties, and requires the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to adopt necessary rules to administer the facilities.

 

     Animal Rights Hawaii and numerous concerned individuals supported this measure.  DOA, Pacific Pet Alliance, and a concerned individual opposed this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2150, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Judiciary to consider and take appropriate action on the concerns expressed in the testimony of DOA and Pacific Pet Alliance.

 

     DOA believes that this measure does not involve agriculture and should be administratively attached to an agency that has a related jurisdictional scope.  Your Committee recommends that the regulation of pet boarding facilities be placed within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

 

     The Pacific Pet Alliance testified that the measure's requirements relating to fire safety systems are overly onerous for small businesses.  The required systems are typically found in hospitals and nursing homes.  By comparison, the fire safety provision in this measure exceeds the Department of Health's requirements for adult residential care homes for the elderly and disabled, which only require battery-operated or hardwired smoke alarms.  Finally, according to the Alliance, many kennel operators have established processes and procedures to address the care of the animals in their facilities.

 

     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. 1162, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1162, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair