STAND. COM. REP. NO. 448-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2132

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.B. No. 2132 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to support the Hawaii Ant Lab in mitigating the effects of little fire ants in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; North Shore Neighborhood Board No. 27; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy; Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species; Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi; Hawaii Pest Control Association; and six individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that little fire ants are an invasive species that are spreading rapidly throughout the State. Your Committee further finds that the Hawaii Ant Lab was established in 2009 to address the overwhelming need for research, advice, and technical assistance to address and eradicate rapidly spreading little fire ant infestations. However, the Hawaii Ant Lab has been struggling to secure sufficient funding to continue its operations. This measure provides additional funding to support the Hawaii Ant Lab in its efforts to mitigate the effects of little fire ants in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Hawaii Ant Lab to share data collected relating to invasive ant surveys with the Department of Agriculture and Department of Land and Natural Resources;

(2) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $1,168,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2132, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2132, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

____________________________

CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair