STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2870

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2996

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2996 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for the research, extension, and control of the little fire ant and other harmful ant species.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Agriculture; Daifukuji Soto Mission; Wakefield and Sons, Inc.; Stop LFA Kohala; Manowaiopae Excellent Adventure Farm; Hawaii Farm Bureau; Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species; Mauna Kea Cacao, LLC; Hawaii Pest Control Association; and eight individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that providing funding to control little fire ants and other invasive ant species is critical to mitigating the negative impacts of the species on the State's agriculture, environment, and economy.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amount to an unspecified sum; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2996, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2996, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair