HI SB2799

Restructures the existing Hawaii Invasive Species Council into a new Hawaii Invasive Species Authority administratively attached to the Department of Agriculture with expanded duties and resources.

Establishes a 9-member board of directors including heads of six state agencies (agriculture, land and natural resources, health, transportation, business/economic development, and university system) plus three governor-appointed members with expertise in invasive species research, agriculture, and Hawaiian cultural conservation practices.

Authorizes the authority to hire staff without civil service restrictions, coordinate interagency invasive species response efforts, maintain a central data repository, develop public reporting systems, and administer an interagency grants program for invasive species projects.

Creates the Invasive Species Authority Special Fund and appropriates funding (amounts unspecified in draft) for authority operations and interagency invasive species control and research projects.

Grants state departments authority to enter private property after notice to control or eradicate identified invasive species, with court-ordered warrants available if access is refused, and allows recovery of control costs from property owners.