Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2774 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to diversify Hawaii's economy by appropriating $1 million for the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation to conduct agricultural research and market development.

The University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., Maui County Farm Bureau, Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii, Meadow Gold Dairies, C&H Farms, and Hawaii Crop Improvement Association testified in support of this bill. The Department of Agriculture also supported this measure, provided that its passage does not affect priorities in the Executive Biennium Budget.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2774, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2774, H.D. 1.