SB387 would require the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to pay the neighbor island inspection permit fees for service animals that are located in the state and are being transported for release at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, Kahului Airport, or Lihue Airport. The bill is aimed at addressing a disparity in how service animals are treated depending on the port of entry: service animals arriving through Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu already have the inspection fee waived because the quarantine holding facility is located there, while travelers arriving through other airports may have to pay the fee themselves.
The measure also includes an appropriation from general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to cover implementation costs, with the Department of Agriculture designated as the administering agency. The bill would add a new section to chapter 142, Hawaii Revised Statutes, creating a statutory obligation for the department to cover these fees for eligible service animals. The effective date is set for July 1, 2050, which is unusually delayed and means the bill would not take effect for many years if enacted as written.
Impact
SB387 would amend Hawaii’s animal quarantine and inspection framework in chapter 142, HRS, by shifting the financial responsibility for neighbor island inspection permit fees from service animal owners to the Department of Agriculture for qualifying interisland releases at Kona, Kahului, and Lihue airports. It would create a new statutory duty for the department and require state funding to support that duty, while leaving the underlying service animal definition tied to section 347-2.5. The practical effect would be to reduce out-of-pocket costs for people with disabilities traveling with service animals to neighbor island airports and to standardize fee treatment across ports of entry.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support in committee, with the Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee passing the bill twice by unanimous 5-0 votes, both times with amendments. The bill’s stated purpose emphasizes fairness and equal treatment for persons with disabilities, which indicates a generally sympathetic policy rationale. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous votes and amendment process suggest the measure was viewed favorably while still being refined.
Contention
The main policy issue appears to be who should bear the cost of inspection fees for service animals at neighbor island airports: the state, through the Department of Agriculture, or the individual traveler. The bill’s supporters frame the issue as an equity and disability-access concern, arguing that travelers should not face different fee burdens based solely on which airport they use. Potential concerns likely include the fiscal impact of the appropriation, administrative responsibility for the Department of Agriculture, and the unusual delayed effective date, though no recorded transcript shows direct opposition. The amendments and unanimous committee votes suggest any disagreement was limited or resolved in committee.