STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2547

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.B. No. 2448

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2448 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BEES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require any public facility or entity that receives state or county funding and discovers a beehive or swarm on its property to contract with a beekeeper for removal and only as a last resort destroy the beehive.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Pest Control Association.

 

     Your Committees find that honeybees are an important part of Hawaii's agriculture and economy, for pollination services, honey production, and queen bee exports.  Therefore, safe removal and repatriation of bee swarms and established honeybee colonies where appropriate is ideal.  

 

Your Committees further find that bee stings can severely impact human health via allergic reactions to their venom.  Last year, several people in Hawaii were stung, one severely, during an encounter with a wild honeybee colony at Iolani Palace.  One of the colonies infesting the palace was removed.  Although the beekeeper followed best practices, the straggler bees became agitated and necessitated the prolonged shutdown of Iolani Palace due to safety concerns.  This measure will require the State to contract a beekeeper for the removal of a beehive or swarm to ensure that the removal of a beehive or swarm is conducted by a professional while ensuring that the destruction of any beehive only occurs as a last resort.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying that a licensed pest control operator as defined by section 460J-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, may also be contracted to remove a beehive or swarm;

 

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2033, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2448, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2448, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

 

________________________________

KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair