STAND. COM. REP. NO. 702

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 1431
                                        S.D. 2




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 S.B.
No. 1431, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN
     AGRICULTURAL WATER SYSTEM FOR UPCOUNTRY MAUI,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to establish a separate
agricultural water supply and delivery system for the Upcountry
region on Maui.

     Your Committee finds that the Upcountry region on Maui is
famous for its unique agricultural products such as the sweet and
distinctive Maui onion, the colorfully beautiful protea, and the
delicately sweet persimmon.  The commercial success of these
products, however, is dependent on the ability of Upcountry
farmers to withstand long and severe droughts.

     This bill addresses this problem by providing a separate
agricultural water supply and delivery system to ensure the
economic viability of the region's agricultural products.

     Your Committee has amended the bill by deleting the
appropriation amount in section 5 of the bill pending a thorough
assessment of the state budget and to provide for further
discussion on the bill.

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 702
                                   Page 2


     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 S.B.
No. 1431, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1431,
S.D. 2.

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



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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