STAND. COM. REP. NO. 923

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1756

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1756 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish the state agricultural land protection program.

     Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Establishes the agricultural land protection foundation;

     (2)  Requires the foundation to adopt rules for the evaluation and selection of agricultural easements on important agricultural lands, as defined in chapter 205, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (3)  Allows the foundation to acquire agricultural easements on important agricultural lands;

     (4)  Restricts lands subject to an agricultural easement to agricultural uses; and

     (5)  Establishes the agricultural land protection fund for the purchase of agricultural easements.

     Your Committee received comments from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and Hawaii Agriculture Research Center in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Association of Realtors submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that this measure provides one of the incentives called for in section 205-46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to encourage land owners to preserve and restrict important agricultural lands for agricultural purposes.  This measure will ensure that agricultural lands remain affordable and protected for long-term agricultural use.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050 to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

     (2)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes for clarity and style.

     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. 1756, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1756, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair