Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2775 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to alleviate the effects of droughts on our agricultural industry by appropriating $4,000,000 to support drought mitigation projects and measures in each county.

The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, and C&H Farms testified in support of this bill. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land and Natural Resources supported the intent of this measure, provided that the appropriation in this bill does not adversely affect priorities in the Executive supplemental budget.

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. 2775 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.