STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1404

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 983
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, 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 measure is to appropriate additional
revolving funds in fiscal year 1998-1999, to allow the
Agribusiness Development Corporation to reimburse the papaya
industry for securing patent licenses needed to commercialize the
transgenic papaya and to allow the Agribusiness Development
Corporation to carry out its ongoing projects. 

     Your Committee finds that development of the transgenic
papaya, which is resistant to the ringspot virus, has been of
significant benefit in rebuilding Hawaii's papaya industry after
its devastation by the ringspot virus disease.  This bill will
allow the Agribusiness Development Corporation to reimburse the
industry for these efforts to revitalize an important Hawaii
crop.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means 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 Third Reading.

 
a                                                     HB983
 
 
 
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1404
                                   Page 2


                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
a                                                     HB983