STAND. COM. REP. NO. 735-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2561

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2561, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to strengthen and complement existing local rules related to feral chickens in cities with a population of three hundred thousand or more by:

(1) Declaring feral chickens on public lands as a public nuisance and controllable pest for purposes of public health, sanitation, and the safe use and enjoyment of public property;

(2) Prohibiting acts that support feral chickens on public lands, including the feeding of feral chickens;

(3) Prohibiting abandoning, depositing, dumping, relocating, or releasing chickens on public lands or on private property without consent; and

(4) Appropriating funds to the City and County of Honolulu to facilitate the collection of feral chickens that have already been caught.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Animal Rights Hawaiʻi; Trooper's Chicken Rescue; Animal Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association; Rubber Boots Rescue; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that unmanaged feral chicken populations on public lands create public health, sanitation, and nuisance concerns that affect surrounding communities and public facilities. Classifying feral chickens on public lands as a controllable pest, prohibiting feeding and abandonment, and establishing clear enforcement authority and penalties will support public health and nuisance prevention, while complementing applicable county rules.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the designation of feral chickens as a public nuisance and controllable pest recognizes that certain birds may be treated as pets for pest-control purposes;

(2) Clarifying that the list of prohibited acts is an exhaustive list;

(3) Clarifying prohibitions relating to the dumping, release, or relocation of a chicken to evade a violation of the limits on household chickens established by county law or ordinance;

(4) Clarifying the penalty provisions;

(5) Clarifying the purpose of the appropriated funds;

(6) Adding a savings clause; and

(7) 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2561, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2561, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair