CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 118-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2207

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2207, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Biosecurity Government-Industry Working Group of public officials and private industry signatories to support agricultural development in the State;

(2) Protect the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the counties, including officers, employees, and authorized agents of the Department and counties, from liability when entering private property to control or eradicate pests;

(3) Allow for the use of monofilament netting for purposes of protecting plants against invasive species under certain conditions;

(4) Require the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish rules allowing the sale and distribution of fine mesh nets, including certain monofilament netting, in the State for the sole purpose of protecting plants from the coconut rhinoceros beetle; and

(5) Rename government-industry agreements to biosecurity government-industry agreements and require the Biosecurity Government-Industry Working Group to inform joint decision-making with regard to the agreements.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have:

(A) Established a Biosecurity Government-Industry Working Group;

(B) Clarified that the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the counties, and their officers, employees, and authorized agents, shall not be liable when entering private property to control and eradicate pests; and

(C) Renamed government-industry agreements to biosecurity government-industry agreements and required the Biosecurity Government-Industry Working Group to inform joint decision-making with regard to the agreements; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2207, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2207, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD Chair	____________________________ CORY CHUN Co-Chair
____________________________ DRU KANUHA Co-Chair	____________________________ SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI Co-Chair
	____________________________ MATTHIAS KUSCH Co-Chair