THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	69
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the auditor to conduct a comprehensive management audit of the institutional biosafety committee at the university of hawaii at manoa and the department of agriculture IN RELATION TO HUMAN and animal PATHOGENS IMPORTED TO HAWAII FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES.

     WHEREAS, the Institutional Biosafety Committee at the University of Hawaii at Manoa received grants to conduct research related to pathogens from the National Institutes of Health; and

     WHEREAS, the Institutional Biosafety Committee has, for research purposes, oversight over research on human and animal pathogens, such as the avian, West Nile, and dengue flu viruses; and

     WHEREAS, the pathogens received by the Institutional Biosafety Committee are controlled microorganisms that were properly imported into Hawaii through permits granted by the State; and

     WHEREAS, the Institutional Biosafety Committee was not in compliance with the federal guidelines that are required by all institutions that receive grants for biomedical research from the National Institutes of Health; and

     WHEREAS, the Sunshine Project, a private international group that seeks controls on biological weapons, appropriately submitted numerous requests for copies of the minutes from the Institutional Biosafety Committee; and

     WHEREAS, the Institutional Biosafety Committee, in violation of the National Institutes of Health guidelines, has failed to comply with such requests from the Sunshine Project; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture discovered that researchers from the University of Hawaii have not submitted various records related to pathogens that the researchers have under their control; and

     WHEREAS, over the past fifty years, due to an inefficient recordkeeping system, the Department of Agriculture has not properly recorded the location and inventory of hundreds of viruses and microbes that were imported to Hawaii for research purposes; and

     WHEREAS, a comprehensive management audit of the Institutional Biosafety Committee and the recordkeeping system at the Department of Agriculture will help to ensure that the citizens and visitors of Hawaii are protected from pathogens that are imported to Hawaii for research purposes; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Auditor, with the assistance of the Legislative Reference Bureau, is requested to develop specific legislative proposals; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor, with the assistance of the Legislative Reference Bureau, is requested to conduct an audit of the Institutional Biosafety Committee at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the Department of Agriculture to determine the systems, practices, procedures, and staff training that should be in place to protect the citizens and visitors in Hawaii and ensure public accountability with respect to programs involving pathogens imported to the State for research purposes, such as avian, West Nile, and dengue viruses; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor, with the assistance of the Legislative Reference Bureau, is requested to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Auditor, the President and Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, the Director of Health, and the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Management Audit; Biosafety Research; Human Pathogens.