Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 540 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for agricultural research and development.

Your Committee finds that agricultural research is the foundation of Hawai`i's agricultural industry, an important component of Hawai`i's economy. For the past few years, funding for agricultural research has decreased dramatically. It is critical to increase and maintain the level of funding to keep our agricultural industry competitive in the global market. Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation has the knowledge, skill, and expertise to support and foster the growth of agricultural research and global marketing of Hawai`i's agribusiness and that a grant-in-aid to the federation is in the public interest.

Your Committee has amended this bill by adding the contents of S.B. No. 546, which provides an appropriation for pineapple research, to be administered by the Department of Agriculture. Your Committee finds that this research will be a complement to the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation's research. Your Committee has further amended the bill by making all appropriations blank to foster continuing discussion, and by making other technical nonsubstantive changes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 540, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 540, S.D. 1.