Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

STAND. COM.   REP. NO.
                                      Honolulu, Hawaii
                                            APR14          ,    2025
                                      RE:     S.C.R. No.       94
                                              S.D. 1
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
      Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,            to which was
referred S.C.R. No. 94, S.D. 1, entitled:
         “SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF
         AGRICULTURE AND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF
         MAUI TO TAKE FURTHER MEANINGFUL ACTION TO ADDRESS THE AXIS
         DEER OVERPOPULATION,”
begs leave to report as follows:
         The purpose of this measure is to:
   (1)     Urge the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and the
           Department of Agriculture of the County of Maui to take
           further meaningful action to address the axis deer
           overpopulation by implementing policies to make in-state
           inspectors certified by the United States Department of
           Agriculture, certified inspections, and certified
           processing more accessible, capable, and affordable for
           local hunters to utilize to sell or gift venison, and
           implementing policies to increase the amount of in-state
           certified United States Department of Agriculture meat
           inspectors for game mammals;
   (2)     Urge the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and the
           Department of Agriculture of the County of Maui to convene
           a joint task force to oversee a County of Maui program
SCR94 SD1 HSCR
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                                    Page 2
         that, in coordination with the United States Department of
         Agriculture certified processing facilities, would aim to
         investigate and develop plans to make affordable the
         processing of locally-hunted axis deer meat and the
         distribution of this venison to the community; and
   (3)   Request the joint task force to submit a report of the
         program’s accomplishments and barriers to the
         accomplishment of the program with its findings and
         recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the
         Legislature no later than November 30, 2025.
     Your Committee has received testimony in support of this
measure from Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and
five individuals.  Your Committee has received comments from the
Department of Agriculture.
      Your Committee finds that the overpopulation of axis deer on
Maui has led to the overgrazing of native plants that would
otherwise aid in mitigating erosion, wildfires, and flooding.
However, axis deer are a plentiful source of high-quality protein
that could benefit the local economy and the citizens of the
State.   Your Committee further finds that an increase of in—state
United States Department of Agriculture—certified meat inspectors
would lower the cost of inspections for local hunters, provide a
benefit to the agricultural industry in the State, and make
locally hunted venison more available and safer for the community
to consume.   This measure urges the State Department of
Agriculture and the County of Maui Department of Agriculture to
take further action to address axis deer overpopulation by
implementing policies, convening a joint task force to develop an
affordable venison processing and distribution program, and
requiring the task force to submit a report to the Legislature by
November 30, 2025.
     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this
report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of
S.C.R. No. 94, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.
SCR94 SD1 HSCR
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                 STAND. CON. REP. NO.
                 Page 3
                 Respectfully submitted on
                 behalf of the members of the
                 Committee on Agriculture & Food
                 Systems,
                         4
                  K RSTIN KAHALOA, Chair
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                                                           State of Hawaii
                                                       House of Representatives
                                                      The Thirty-third Legislature         A~ 2c93
                   Record of Votes of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems
 Bill/Resolution No.:                             Committee Referral:                         Date:
                                                                                                      t-j-ti
D The committee is reconsidering its previous decision on the measure.
 The recommendation is to:               Pass, unamended (as is)     0 Pass, with amendments (HD)           0 Hold
                                 0       Pass short form bill with HD to recommit for future public hearing (recommit)
                 AGR Members                                        Ayes           Ayes (WR)            Nays               Excused
1.   KAHALOA, Kirsfin (C)
2.   KUSCH, Matthias (VC)
3.   LOWEN, Nicole E.
4.   PERRUSO, Amy A.
5.   QUINLAN, Sean
                   TOTAL     (F      5
The recommendation is:                    Adopted               ~l Not Adopted
                                     If joint referral,   —                          did not support recommendation.
                                                              ommttee acronym(
Vice Chair’s or designee’s signature:            ______________________
Distribution: Original (White)   —   Committ~e            Duplicate (Yellow) —(Chief Clerks Office      Duplicate (Pink)   —   HMSO