STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1013-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: S.B. No. 3199
                                     S.D. 1
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B.
No. 3199, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PLANT AND NON-DOMESTIC ANIMAL
     QUARANTINE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to facilitate the importation of
microorganisms for research and commercial purposes while
maintaining safe quarantine regulations by:

     (1)  Creating separate statutory sections for the
          importation of plants, animals, and microorganisms to
          better reflect the different requirements appropriate
          for each category;

     (2)  Authorizing the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to
          determine the risk level for unlisted microorganism
          requests; and

     (3)  Authorizing the DOA to issue an emergency permit for
          the importation of listed and unlisted microorganisms.

     The DOA testified in support of this bill with a proposed
amendment.  The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human
Resources and the Environmental Center commented on this bill.  


 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1013-00
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee has amended this bill by replacing its
contents with the substantive provisions of H.B. No. 2803,
H.D. 2, a similar bill that passed the House earlier this session
after public hearings by your Committee on Agriculture and your
Committee on Finance.

     As amended, this bill:

     (1)  Substitutes "advisory committee" with "ad hoc panel";
          and

     (2)  Eliminates the proviso that the appropriation section
          shall take effect on July 1, 2000. 

     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 S.B. No.
3199, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3199, S.D.
1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair