STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1545

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 744

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred S.B. No. 744, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to:

(1) Amend its administrative rules to classify the fungal pathogen that causes coffee leaf rust as an invasive species; and

(2) Expend any available monies for mitigation efforts, research, and prevention or control actions with respect to coffee leaf rust.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Research and Development of the County of Hawaii, two members of the Hawai‘i County Council, Hawaii Coffee Growers Association, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Synergistic Hawai‘i Agriculture Council, Rancho Aloha Coffee Farm, Ma‘alahi Farm, Kona Coffee Farmers Association, Hawaii Coffee Association, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that efforts to control coffee leaf rust are critical to sustaining the State's coffee industry. The long-term impact of a coffee leaf rust outbreak could cause a significant loss of Hawaii's annual coffee yield if not properly treated. Classifying coffee leaf rust as an invasive species will allow the use of available funds for coffee leaf rust mitigation and prevention efforts.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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 S.B. No. 744, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 744, S.D. 1, 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