Hawaii Invasive Species Protection Act
The Hawaii Invasive Species Protection Act would require preclearance quarantine inspections for all movement to or from Hawaii, whether by domestic or international travel. Administered mainly by APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) with interagency cooperation (including Interior, Homeland Security, Commerce, Treasury) and the government of Hawaii, these inspections would screen people, baggage, cargo, and other articles destined for Hawaii for high-risk invasive species and agricultural materials. Inspections would occur before direct travel to Hawaii at departure/interline airports, ports of departure, and USPS destination centers. The bill would also require the government to publish a list of items subject to inspection within 180 days, allow seizure and disposal of high-risk items, expand related plant protection authorities to cover Hawaii, and create or expand user fees to cover the full cost of these inspections. Overall, the measure aims to reduce the risk of invasive species entering Hawaii by tightening and cost-shifting the inspection process.
Key Points
- 1Repeats and expands federal authority to require preclearance quarantine inspections for all movement to or from Hawaii, covering high-risk invasive species and agricultural materials, with inspections conducted by APHIS and partner agencies.
- 2Inspections would use visual checks, x-ray, and canine units and would occur at all departure/interline airports, ports of departure, and USPS destination centers before Hawaii-bound travel or shipments.
- 3The government, in coordination with Hawaii, must develop a list of items subject to inspection and publish that list in the Federal Register within 180 days of enactment.
- 4High-risk invasive species and agricultural materials discovered during inspections may be seized and disposed of consistent with existing law.
- 5The bill authorizes and/or expands user fees to cover the full cost of preclearance quarantine inspections, including screening conducted in connection with Hawaii’s import, entry, and export activities, and to fund related inspection services.