Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1641, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a special fund to administer non-agricultural park lands transferred to the Department of Agriculture.

The Department of Agriculture and the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Budget and Finance submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

This measure creates the non-agricultural park lands special fund to pay for costs incurred in managing, administering, and overseeing non-agricultural park lands that are transferred, or in the process of being transferred, to the Department of Agriculture. The special fund will be financed through legislative appropriations and the revenue collected from lease rents, fees, and penalties associated with the land. Your Committee finds that this will provide another step in the process of transferring agricultural leases from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050 to facilitate further discussion on this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1641, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1641, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.