Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1082, H.D. 3, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a temporary task force within the Department of Agriculture to develop policies to abate agricultural crime.

The Department of Agriculture, the Big Island Farm Bureau, Growing Creations, LLC, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, the Hawaii Aquaculture Association, the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and the Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii submitted testimony in support of this measure.

Your Committees find that agricultural theft is a critical problem for Hawaii's farmers, especially in sparsely populated areas that are isolated from law enforcement. This measure establishes a temporary Agricultural Crime Abatement task force to develop policies and programs within the Department of Agriculture to abate agricultural crime.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for style, clarity, and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1082, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1082, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.