APHIS Interline Inspections in Hawaii ($3,000,000)
The requested funding would be used to provide the authorized level of funding needed to conduct inspection of outbound passengers in order to meet federal quarantine requirements.
This initiative provides for preclearance passenger baggage inspections for those interisland passengers departing Lihue, Kauai; Kahului, Maui; Kapalua-West Maui; Lanai City, Lanai; Hilo, Hawaii; Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; and Molokai, with subsequent connections to the U.S. mainland. Unless predeparture inspection funds are restored to at the authorized level of funding ($3 million), there will be major disruptions or lapses in the inspection of passengers and cargo destined for the U.S. mainland; or the State of Hawaii will have to pay the cost for a federally mandated quarantine to minimize inconvenience to mainland bound passengers.
Hawaii is currently under a federal quarantine for fruit flies. In addition to quarantine protocols for mainland-bound Hawaii agricultural produce, the federal quarantine also requires the predeparture inspection of all airline passengers and luggage departing Hawaii for the U.S. mainland. Many Hawaii visitors begin their journeys home from one of the neighbor islands in the Hawaiian chain. These neighbor island departures often involve an interisland flight on a local air carrier followed by a connection to a larger domestic carrier, usually in Honolulu, for the final flight home to the mainland. These are commonly referred to as “interline” departures.
While there is adequate funding for direct departure passengers from Honolulu, “interline” inspection funds are needed for flights originating at neighbor island airports and connecting in Honolulu.
Recipient: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
PO Box 50002
Honolulu, HI 96805
Why this is a good use of taxpayer dollars: Without such funding there would be major disruptions or lapses in the inspection of passengers and cargo destined for the U.S. mainland; or the State of Hawaii will have to pay the cost for a federally mandated quarantine to minimize
inconvenience to mainland bound passengers.
