Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1531 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to transfer the powers, duties, and authority relating to the administration and management of agricultural lands from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committees received testimony in favor of this measure from the Hawaii Farm Bureau and the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center.

Your Committees received testimony on this measure from the Department of Agriculture deferring to the testimony of the Department of Land and Natural Resources opposing this measure and Hawaii's Thousand Friends in opposition.

Your Committees find that the current administration and management of public agricultural lands does not reflect adequate synergy with the concern and needs of Hawaii's agriculture industry. The Department of Agriculture is charged with the responsibility of servicing, improving, and promoting Hawaii's agriculture industry. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture should also be responsible for administering and managing agricultural lands.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1531, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1531, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.