STAND. COM. REP. NO. 682

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 835

       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. 835 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the University of Hawaii to enable the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to develop a long range plan for a food innovation and security center.

     Your Committee received comments in support of the measure from the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association and Big Island Candies.  The Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that establishing a food innovation and security center will assist in expanding diversified agriculture in this State.  Specifically, such a center will help Hawaii's agricultural and value-added businesses produce commercially-viable products whose quality and value will offset the State's high costs of land, labor, water, and transportation.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount in order to promote continued discussion of the matter.  Your Committee also made technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of 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. 835, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 835, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair