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Committee advances bill requiring microchip scans of roadkill; DOT to provide scanners
Summary
SB 599, which would require scanning deceased dogs and cats found on public roadways for microchips, was advanced to Ways & Means; DOT said it will supply scanning devices and the Humane Society will continue microchipping animals.
The Senate Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts voted to advance SB 599 to the Ways & Means Committee. The bill would require DOT or appropriate county departments that collect deceased cats and dogs from roadways to scan animals for microchips, record identifying information and report the findings to animal-service providers.
Stephanie Kendrick of the Hawaiian Humane Society told senators that microchip scanning helps reunite pets and their owners and thanked DOT for supporting the measure. A resident who identified herself on the sign-up sheet as Britney Adder, a resident of "Alpha Beach," urged passage and described microchips as an important safeguard for family pets.
In Q&A, committee members asked who would pay for microchips and scanners. DOT clarified it will provide scanners and that microchips themselves are installed by humane-society partners; DOT said its role would be to use scanners to collect information before disposal, and committee members confirmed that reunification and handling costs would not be passed to pet owners under the planned practice.
The committee recorded the recommendation to move SB 599 forward unamended; the bill was advanced to Ways & Means.
