STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2534

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3329

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 3329 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LITTLE FIRE ANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the disclosure of any little fire ant infestations as part of the sale of residential real property.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Kalani Ohana Farm and four individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Pest Control Association, and Hawaiʻi Association of REALTORS.

Your Committee finds that the little fire ant is an invasive pest that is difficult to manage and is spreading throughout the State. Your Committee recognizes that although certain homeowners have gone to extreme lengths to limit the spread of little fire ants, there are others who do not take reasonable measures to prevent little fire ant infestations, nor do they take reasonable measures to treat their property once it has been infested, thereby leading to the infestation of little fire ants on surrounding properties. Your Committee believes that a little ant infestation is a material fact that could measurably affect the value of residential real property being offered for sale. This measure requires the seller of a residential real property to provide whether the property has had any infestation of little fire ants in a disclosure statement to the buyer.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting language to require the seller of a residential property to disclose if a little fire ant infestation on the property was treated and the date and who provided the treatment.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3329, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3329, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair