Committee advances bill to create spay‑neuter special fund, refers finance questions

The House Committee on Culture, Arts & International Affairs on Feb. 12 voted to advance HB547 HD1, a bill to establish a spay‑and‑neuter special fund intended to reduce pet overpopulation and the reproduction of free‑roaming cats, and to create revenue sources including an income tax return checkoff and a specialty license plate.

Committee members said the measure addresses statewide needs for spay/neuter services but raised procedural questions about which state agency should administer the new fund. The committee voted to move the bill forward with technical amendments and noted its finance concerns for resolution by the Finance Committee.

Gary Garrison Kurth, representing the Department of Taxation, said the department “will stand on its written comments, specifically that we can implement this bill as far as the check off option on the tax returns for one of the sources of funding.” Deputy Attorney General Ian Robertson advised the committee that the bill places a special fund in a section of statute associated with the Department of Agriculture and suggested language changes “to clarify depending on which is the intended department.”

Veil Solaveria, director of the Department of Budget and Finance, described personal support for the bill’s goals but questioned whether Budget and Finance is “the most appropriate department to handle this very important initiative going forward,” a concern the committee said it would flag for the Finance Committee.

Stephanie Kendrick of the Hawaiian Humane Society testified in strong support, urging the committee to fund services statewide and saying, “The need for spay‑neuter services statewide is critical.” Jade McMillan of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii urged caution about the special fund’s revenue sources, saying the proposal may not meet statutory criteria for linking a fund’s purpose and revenue sources.

Committee leadership clarified one technical point raised by testifiers: the bill would create a dedicated specialty license plate for spay/neuter funding rather than adding a surcharge to all specialty plates. The record shows 26 written testimonies in support, one in opposition and five offering comments; organizations that filed in support included Neighborhood Cats, the Humane Society of the United States, Cat Friends and the Big Island Invasive Species Council.

The committee voted to advance HB547 HD1 with technical amendments; the chair said the report will note the Budget and Finance and Attorney General concerns for Finance to address. The committee recorded the chair, the vice chair, Representative Garrett and Representative Lee voting aye; Representatives Sayama and Reyes were excused.

The bill will proceed with amendments and be included in the committee’s report, with finance‑related questions to be resolved by the Finance Committee before implementation.