STAND. COM. REP. NO. 955

                                   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 Economic Development, 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 (ADC) to reimburse the
papaya industry for securing patent licenses needed to
commercialize the transgenic papaya, and to carry out ongoing ADC
projects. 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

     Your Committee finds that development of the transgenic
papaya has been of significant benefit in rebuilding Hawaii's
papaya industry after its devastation by the ringspot virus
disease.  This measure will allow the ADC 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 Economic Development 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 Ways and Means.

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 955
                                   Page 2



                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Economic
                                   Development,



                                   ______________________________
                                   LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 
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