STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2907

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2401

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2401, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FERAL CHICKENS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to control the feral chicken population across the State.

Specifically, the measure appropriates moneys to:

(1) Each county, as a grant-in-aid, for the implementation of feral chicken control programs; and

(2) The Department of Health for a feeding of feral animals education campaign.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Department of Agriculture; City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services; County of Maui; and Hawaii Farm Bureau.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Hawaiian Humane Society.

Your Committee finds that feral chickens have become a persistent nuisance in Hawaii, particularly in suburban and residential communities. Your Committee further finds that controlling these feral populations is in the best interest of the environment, human health, and the animals themselves.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriations and grant-in-aid to each county to unspecified amounts;

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

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2401, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2401, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair