I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1726 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to partner and collaborate with 
the Secretary of Agriculture and the State of Hawaii to address Rapid 
Ohia Death, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 22, 2023 
Ms. TOKUDA (for herself and Mr. CASE) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to 
the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to partner and 
collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and the 
State of Hawaii to address Rapid Ohia Death, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Continued Rapid Ohia 
Death Response Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:44 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1726.IH
H1726
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(1) the fungus Ceratocystis, known as ‘‘Rapid 
Ohia Death’’, has killed more than 1,000,000 native 
trees in the State; and 
(2) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through 
the Chief of the Forest Service and the Adminis-
trator of the Agricultural Research Service, has pro-
vided funding and staff— 
(A) to identify and detect Rapid Ohia 
Death; 
(B) to prevent the spread of Rapid Ohia 
Death; 
(C) to identify Ohia trees that are resist-
ant to Rapid Ohia Death; and 
(D) to propagate trees that are resistant to 
Rapid Ohia Death in order to restore the native 
forests of the State. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) RAPID
OHIA
DEATH.—The term ‘‘Rapid 
Ohia Death’’ means the fungus described in section 
2(1) that has killed more than 1,000,000 native 
trees in the State. 
(2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Hawaii. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:44 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1726.IH
H1726
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 4. COLLABORATION. 
The Secretary of the Interior shall partner and col-
laborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and the State 
to address Rapid Ohia Death. 
SEC. 5. SUSTAINED EFFORTS. 
(a) TRANSMISSION.—The Secretary of the Interior, 
acting through the Director of the United States Geologi-
cal Survey, shall continue to conduct research on Rapid 
Ohia Death vectors and transmission. 
(b) UNGULATE MANAGEMENT.—The Secretary of the 
Interior, acting through the Director of the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service, shall continue to partner with 
the State and with local stakeholders to manage ungulates 
in Rapid Ohia Death control areas on Federal, State, and 
private land. 
(c) RESTORATION AND RESEARCH.—The Secretary 
of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
Service, shall continue to provide— 
(1) financial assistance, including to the Sec-
retary of the Interior— 
(A) to prevent the spread of Rapid Ohia 
Death; and 
(B) to restore the native forests of the 
State; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:44 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1726.IH
H1726
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS