Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2271 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create and appropriate funds to establish an agricultural theft abatement task force.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Department of Agriculture, City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Aquaculture Association, North Shore Farms, Waialua Farmers Cooperative, Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii, and Hawaii Food Industry Association.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's farmers lose millions of dollars every year to agricultural theft. The nature of farming makes it difficult to deter, prevent, and prosecute agricultural theft through conventional means. Your Committee finds that this measure assists Hawaii's farmers by bringing the stakeholders and appropriate law enforcement officials together to develop new and innovative strategies to abate agricultural theft.

Your Committee has amended this measure by specifying that $50,000 shall be appropriated for the purpose of establishing an agricultural theft abatement task force. In so doing, your Committee currently envisions the funds to be utilized for the production and dissemination of educational pamphlets ($5,000) and videos ($15,000). In addition, the funds may also be used for law enforcement expenses incurred in implementing strategies developed by the task force ($30,000). Your Committee believes that discussions on the use of the funds should continue as this measure proceeds through the legislative process.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2271, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2271, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.