Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 365, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish civil liability against persons who intentionally damage an agricultural commodity known to be part of a product development program.

Testimony in support was submitted by the Department of Agriculture, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, the Hawaiian Alliance for Responsible Technology and Science, the Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii, the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that in recent years, farmers and researchers have been victimized by certain individuals who profess opposition to agricultural biotechnology. Your Committee believes that this bill is necessary to deter those who would deliberately damage or destroy agricultural products being used for scientific research or product development.

Your Committee has amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 365, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 365, H.D. 2.