STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2618

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1190

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1190 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to support its initiatives to control and eradicate invasive species in the State.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Department of Health; The Nature Conservancy, Hawaiʻi and Palmyra; Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee; and four individuals.

Your Committees find that the Hawaii Invasive Species Council is a cross-jurisdictional partnership that coordinates statewide strategies to prevent, detect, and control invasive species that threaten the State's biodiversity, agriculture, natural resources, and economy. Because the State's species evolved in extreme isolation, they are particularly vulnerable to aggressive invasive plants, animals, and pathogens introduced through global travel and trade. Maintaining a strong, unified, and science-driven invasive species response and eradication program is critical in protecting the State's habitats and economic stability. This measure will provide the Hawaii Invasive Species Council with funding that will allow it to continue its initiatives to control and eradicate invasive species.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amount from $4,250,000 to an unspecified amount to encourage further discussion;

(2) Updating dates to reflect the current legislative session;

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1190, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1190, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair