STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1333
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: S.R. No. 88
S.D. 1
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.R. No. 88 entitled:
"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING AN ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW OF EXISTING AGRICULTURAL THEFT LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT ISSUES THAT HAMPER THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF PERSON'S CAUGHT OR SUSPECTED OF AGRICULTURAL THEFT,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Agriculture to convene a task force to assess the agricultural theft laws to facilitate the arrest and conviction of violators.
Your Committee received testimony in favor of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Kauai County Farm Bureau, Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Aquaculture Association, Grove Farm Company, Big Island Farm Bureau, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Hawaii Food Products, Inc., Hawaiian Alliance for Responsible Technology & Science, and two individuals.
Your Committee finds that the theft of agricultural commodities increases each year at an alarming rate, leading to huge losses for farmers. With these losses, the sustainability of many agricultural ventures is in jeopardy. This measure will help solve the agricultural theft problem before it spins out of control by bringing together the stakeholders to work on solutions.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the agricultural theft task force into a legislative agricultural theft committee;
(2) Requiring the President of the Senate to convene the legislative agricultural theft committee;
(3) Providing that the members of the agricultural theft committee shall include the Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and other members selected by the President of the Senate; and
(4) Requiring that the agricultural theft committee obtain input from the list of various state and county agencies, farmers, and related industries previously designated as members of the agriculture theft task force by this measure, and adding the shipping industry to that list.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 88, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 88, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,
|
____________________________ JAN YAGI BUEN, Chair |
||