There was a resolution submitted to the state senate entitled "Requesting that the University of Hawai‘i provide information to the legislature on possible techniques to eliminate mosquitos from Hawaii."

Link: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2017/bills/SCR160_.HTM

Some of us working on mosquitoes in Hawai'i found out about this at the last minute. I and others submitted written testimony as soon as we learned of this (but it was within 24 hours of the session to consider the resolution and may not have been provided) and contacted DLNR and the university office that submits testimony on behalf of the university. The last I heard was that the resolution passed with some amendments. The full text is copied below.

THE SENATE         TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017         STATE OF HAWAII

S.C.R. NO. 160

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Requesting that the University of Hawai‘i provide information to the legislature on possible techniques to eliminate mosquitos from Hawaii.

WHEREAS, mosquitos are an alien species in Hawaii and were introduced to the Hawaiian archipelago in the late 1800s; and

WHEREAS, mosquitos are vectors of diseases that affect humans and wildlife; and

WHEREAS, without sufficient eradication efforts, mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and zika virus are likely to become established in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, avian malaria has decimated the native bird population throughout the range of the mosquito; and

WHEREAS, as our climate warms, mosquitoes are able to survive at higher altitudes and Hawaii's native birds will continue to lose survivable habitat as mosquitos move mauka; and

WHEREAS, eliminating mosquitos is a critical element of restoring the original habitat of Hawaii's native birds and could be a deciding factor in saving native birds from extinction; and

WHEREAS, mosquito eradication techniques, including introducing genetically-engineered mosquitoes to disrupt breeding and reproduction cycles, have been developed and tested in multiple mosquito-affected regions of the world; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the House of Representatives concurring, that the University of Hawai‘i, through its College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management, is requested to investigate techniques that can be used to eliminate mosquitoes from Hawaii, the estimated cost of establishing a statewide mosquito eradication program using identified techniques, and the expected environmental impacts of such a program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawai‘i is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2018; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Chancellor of the University of Hawai‘i System; Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; Dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management; and Deputy Director of the Department of Health's Environmental Health Administration.