STAND. COM. REP. NO. 564

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1379
                                     H.D. 2




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water and Land Use, to which was referred
H.B. No. 1379, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to allow persons owning property
within an agricultural district to subdivide the property into
leasehold lots of at least 50 acres to be used for intensive
agricultural purposes.  

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this bill
from Kamehameha Schools/Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate, Land Use
Research Foundation, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and comments
on the bill from the Office of Planning of the Department of
Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.  

     Your Committee finds that intensive agricultural
subdivisions will allow farmers to work on smaller plots and will
encourage the development of diversified agriculture.
Restrictions will prevent residential or any other non-
agricultural use.  Additional safeguards include the requirement
for county approval of the file plan of any proposed subdivision.  

     Your Committee revised the bill by:  

     1.   Providing that for subdivided leasehold lots, the lot
          shall revert to its former state upon expiration or
          termination of the lease; 

     2.   Setting the minimum lot size to an undesignated size; 

     3.   Providing that the requirement for agricultural
          subdivisions to be used solely for the production of

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 564
                                 Page 2

 
          plant and animal life for food, fiber, and raw
          materials shall apply to leasehold lots; 

     4.   Clarifying that security facilities shall be used for
          safeguarding agricultural products and activities; and 

     5.   Making technical, non-substantive changes for the
          purposes of style and clarity.  

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Water and Land Use that is attached to this report,
your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B.
No. 1379, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be
referred to the Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto
as H.B. No. 1379, H.D. 2.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Water and Land
                                   Use,



                                   ______________________________
                                   Romy M. Cachola, Chair