STAND. COM. REP. NO. 200________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 983
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B.
No. 983 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE
     AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this Act is to authorize an emergency
appropriation of an additional $50,000 in revolving funds for
fiscal year 1998-1999 to allow the Agribusiness Development
Corporation (ADC) to reimburse the papaya industry for securing
patent licenses needed to commercialize the transgenic papaya and
carry out its ongoing projects.

     The Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) submitted
testimony in support of this measure.

     Your committee finds that a funding emergency exists to
secure the patent licenses for the genetically engineered papaya
proven to be resistant to the ringspot virus. Securing the patent
licenses of the PRV resistant papaya is expected to ensure the
economic growth and expansion of the papaya industry in Hawaii,
which has been devastated by the ringspot virus disease.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
983 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to
the Committee on Finance.

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 200________
                                 Page 2

 
                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Agriculture,



                                   ______________________________
                                   FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair