STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2489

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2885

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2885 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BIOSECURITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to, beginning January 1, 2027, establish mandatory handling and storage rules for commercial and residential coconut rhinoceros beetle host material to reduce the spread of coconut rhinoceros beetles within infested zones and to prevent spread into non-infested zones.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Solid Waste Division of the Department of Public Works of the County of Kauaʻi, one member of the Kauai County Council, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United, Fairways at Ko Olina Resort, Seagull Schools Ko Olina, Hawaii Food+ Policy, Kualoa Ranch, Coconut Plantation AOAO, and fifteen individuals.

Your Committee finds that the coconut rhinoceros beetle is one of the State's fastest growing invasive threats, capable of causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the State's environment. One of the largest challenges to mitigating coconut rhinoceros beetle damage in the State is the storage or accumulation of coconut rhinoceros beetle host material, particularly mulch and green waste piles, which are the true drivers of population growth. This measure seeks to improve efforts to stop coconut rhinoceros beetle spread by implementing novel mitigation, containment, and suppression methods for coconut rhinoceros beetle host materials.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

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. 2885, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2885, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair