SUPPORT HB299: HISC Invasive Species Funding

The Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC) and its county-based invasive species committees play a critical and indispensable role in our fight against invasive species. Administratively attached to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, HISC develops plans, funds projects, coordinates cross-agency efforts, and provides critical support for the Big Island, Maui, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committees. These latter county-level committees in turn lead on-the-ground efforts to eradicate and manage pests in our forests, open spaces, and neighborhoods, including through the education, training, and enlistment of community groups and local businesses in our all-hands-on-deck biosecurity efforts. 

Despite extremely limited resources, HISC and its invasive species committees have successfully eradicated dozens of outbreaks of invasive pests throughout the islands - preventing millions of dollars’ worth of damages and the irreversible degradation of our islands’ environmental and cultural integrity, and our quality of life. They also continue to work tirelessly to help manage established pests and mitigate the impacts they have on our communities and landscapes.  

The Department of Agriculture, in contrast, continues to demonstrate an inability or unwillingness to fulfill its critical and exclusive regulatory responsibilities, even after receiving “historic” funding last year that remains largely unspent. 

While we continue to push for the Department of Agriculture to embrace its biosecurity role, it is clear that increased funding for HISC and its committees may be the best investment we can make to safeguard our islands and future generations from a pest-infested landscape.

A bill to fund HISC, HB299, is up for a hearing on Thursday, January 30, at 9am in the House Committee on Water & Land (Room 411). Notably, the proposed $4.25M is $1.5M less than what HISC received last year. Please take a moment to submit testimony to SUPPORT WITH AMENDMENTS HB299, urging lawmakers to increase, and not decrease, funding for HISC and its essential work in protecting Hawaiʻi from invasive pests. You can also watch the hearing live here. 

What the bills does

HB299 would appropriate $4.25M each year for the next two years for HISC - $1.5M less than what the legislature provided it last year.

Why is this good but needs amendments 

HB299 recognizes that HISC serves as a critical foundation of our invasive species response, eradication, and management framework, and that there is a substantial need to provide it and its island invasive species committees with more funding to bolster our biosecurity framework. However, it appropriates less funds than was provided to HISC last year.

Sample testimony

Aloha Chair Kahaloa, Vice-Chair Kusch, and members of the House Agriculture & Food Systems Committee, 

My name is [Your name] and I SUPPORT WITH AMENDMENTS HB299. 

I strongly agree with the opening section of this bill, regarding the need to increase funding for the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC) and the island Invasive Species Committees that have been the core foundation of our all-hands-on-deck fight to protect our islands and future generations from invasive species. However, this bill appears to provide HISC with far less funds than it received last year - $3M over the next fiscal biennium - in a moment when we clearly need to invest more than ever before in shoring up our biosecurity defenses. Please amend this measure to increase, rather than decrease, the funding that will be provided to HISC.

With dozens of successful eradications from Kauaʻi to Hawaiʻi Island of pests and noxious weeds ranging from fireweed to pampas grass to little fire ants, HISC and its Committees have proven their great effectiveness in fighting invasive species with extremely limited resources. Their work has undoubtedly prevented millions upon millions of dollars’ worth of damages and the potentially irreversible degradation of our islands’ environmental and cultural integrity, and our quality of life. Meanwhile, they continue to serve as an integral foundation of community-driven efforts to detect, eradicate, and manage myriad invasive species across our islands.

With the Department of Agriculture struggling to expend the historic funding it received last year for biosecurity programs, and with no clear Department of Agriculture plan to fulfill its own unique roles in preventing the introduction and spread of invasive pests, it is absolutely critical that we double down in our investments in HISC and its Committees. 

I urge you to PASS HB299 with AMENDMENTS to increase, and not decrease, HISC funding for the next fiscal biennium, sufficient to fully meet its core needs and anticipated programmatic requests.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Testimony instructions

1. Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)

2. Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.

3. Enter "HB299" where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."

4. Input your information and your written testimony, select your testimony option(s)—in-person + written, remotely + written, written only. Please consider providing verbal testimony (in-person or remotely) if you are able! 

   *Note: Virtual testimony option may be disabled 24 hours before the hearing.

5. If you are testifying via Zoom, be sure to review these instructions (page 4)

SUPPORT SB252 + HB427: Invasive Pest Controls

January 30 update

SB252 was passed with technical amendments by the Senate Committees on Agriculture & Environment and Commerce & Consumer Protections. There were over 57 individual testimonies submitted in support—mahalo nui to everyone that submitted testimony and thank you to Chairs Keohokālole and Gabbard for their leadership on this critical issue.

HB427 was passed with amendments to prevent potential inadvertent impacts to the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council. However, there continues to be a need to ensure any deputy of biosecurity truly embraces their biosecurity responsibilities, given the current Department of Agriculture leadersʻ longstanding failure to do so.

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SB252 & HB427 Bill Background

Invasive species like the little fire ant and coconut rhinoceros beetle are already disrupting life in Hawaiʻi, harming farms and food production, cultural practices, recreation, public health, local businesses, and our overall quality of life. These and other pests threaten to radically alter Hawaiʻi’s environment and our and future generations’ connection to these islands, if we do not make immediate and transformative shifts in our biosecurity framework.

Two crucial bills that will help us combat the introduction and spread of invasive pests have been scheduled for a hearing this Wednesday, and could use your support!

SB252 would target the importation and sale of infested items, two major pathways for invasive species to be introduced to and spread across our islands. The bill will be heard on Wednesday, January 29, 9:30am by the Senate Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Commerce and Consumer Protection in conference room 229. You can also watch the hearing live here.

HB427 would re-brand the Department of Agriculture as the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, with additional regulatory authorities relating to imports, quarantines, and emergencies, as well as funding for dozens of full time positions to support its biosecurity functions. The bill will also be heard on Wednesday, January 29, 9:30am by the House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems in conference room 325. You can also watch the hearing live here.

Take a moment now to testify on these important bills!

What these bills do

SB252 prohibits the import or sale/donation of pest-infested items, and clarifies the Agriculture Department’s authority and responsibility to enforce these prohibitions through administrative inspections and quarantine orders, among other provisions.

HB427 renames the Department of Agriculture as the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB), with a deputy of biosecurity to oversee its biosecurity responsibilities. The DAB would have the authority to subpoena documentation from agricultural commodity importers relating to a known or suspected pest infestation, quarantine farms or businesses known to be infested with an invasive pest or restricted species, and declare a biosecurity emergency under certain conditions to transfer funds or temporarily requisition goods, real property, or watercraft to address the emergency. The bill also includes funding for 44 full time positions to support the DAB’s work.

Why your testimony is needed

As we have already experienced, when infested or infected items are brought into Hawaiʻi or moved between or within islands, pests and diseases can spread rapidly, causing significant harm to crops, native species, public health, local businesses, and our quality of life. We’ve also seen that it can take years or decades for the Department of Agriculture to implement quarantines and other controls, leaving Hawaiʻi dangerously exposed to the devastating threats of invasive pests. Hawaiʻi cannot afford further delays in addressing the growing threat of invasive species to our ‘āina, food security, cultural practices, economy, health, and quality of life.

SB252 goes even further than the recent biosecurity rule amendments that allow for quarantines of infested products upon order by the Department of Agriculture. This bill would automatically prohibit the importation and sale or donation of infested items, without requiring the Department of Agriculture to act. 

HB427 emphasizes the Department of Agriculture’s long-neglected biosecurity role, establishing a deputy director of biosecurity to focus on fulfilling this role, and providing the renamed DAB with additional biosecurity tools and funds for much-needed staff positions. While these changes are generally positive, accountability mechanisms may be needed to ensure the department and its deputy actually take their biosecurity responsibilities seriously.

Sample testimony for SB252

Aloha Chairs Keohokālole and Gabbard, Vice Chairs Fukunaga and Richards, and members of the Senate Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Agriculture and Environment,

My name is [Your name] and I strongly support SB252. Invasive species like the little fire ant and coconut rhinoceros beetle are already causing serious harm to Hawaiʻi’s environment, agriculture, and communities, and we must make major transformative shifts in our biosecurity strategy to mitigate the impacts of these and other invasive pests on our islands and future generations.

This bill will make clear that the import and intrastate sale or gift of invasive species-infested items is prohibited - without requiring the Department of Agriculture to pass rules or issue orders, processes that could take months, years, or decades. It will also remove the Department’s ability to use the lack of inspection or quarantine authorities as an excuse for inaction, as has been the case with the little fire ant, coconut rhinoceros beetle, and too many other known pests.

SB252 is essential to safeguarding our environment, food security, and way of life.

Therefore, I urge you to PASS SB252.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Sample testimony for HB427

Aloha Chair Kahaloa, Vice Chair Kusch, and members of the House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

My name is [Your name] and I support HB427 with a friendly suggestion for amendments. Invasive species like the little fire ant and coconut rhinoceros beetle are already causing serious harm to Hawaiʻi’s environment, agriculture, and communities, and we must make major transformative shifts in our biosecurity strategy to mitigate the impacts of these and other invasive pests on our islands and future generations.

Unfortunately, Department of Agriculture leadership has made it abundantly clear that they are unwilling and/or unable to act decisively and proactively in fulfilling their biosecurity responsibilities, and protecting our islands from the devastating impacts of invasive species. Re-naming the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, and providing for a new deputy director to focus on the department’s biosecurity functions, may help to emphasize the pressing need for it to do its part in our all-hands-on-deck fight against invasive pests. The additional authorities and funding for staff positions may also remove any excuses the department may have for its past failures to uphold its biosecurity role.

I do urge you to consider amendments that will better ensure the department and deputy are held accountable to their responsibilities going forward, such as regular reporting requirements to the Board of Agriculture and the public, deadlines for invasive species action plans with clear benchmarks for actions and outcomes, and initial and biannual confirmation hearings for the appointed deputy of biosecurity.

Accordingly, I urge you to PASS WITH AMENDMENTS HB427 .

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Testimony instructions

1. Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)

2. Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.

3. Enter "SB252" or “HB427” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."

4. Input your information and your written testimony, select your testimony option(s)—in-person + written, remotely + written, written only. Please consider providing verbal testimony (in-person or remotely) if you are able! 
   *Note: Virtual testimony option may be disabled 24 hours before the hearing.

5. If you are testifying via Zoom, be sure to review these instructions (page 4)