STAND. COM. REP. NO. 898

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 885

       S.D. 2

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. 885, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to develop the agriculture and culinary arts industries by supporting and enhancing educational programs to grow a qualified workforce for those industries.

     Specifically, this measure expands the Vocational Agriculture Education Program to include a landscaping component and establishes an Agricultural and Culinary Education Pilot Program that teaches students healthy eating habits and encourages jobs in agriculture and related fields as long-term career goals.

     Written comments in support of this measure were submitted by the Department of Education, the University of Hawaii, and the Workforce Development Council.

     Your Committee finds that the development of the agriculture and related industries is important to the sustainability of Hawaii and its residents.  With the decline of certain staple farming industries of the past, such as the sugar and pineapple industries, the State must develop a broader vision for the agriculture industry and its role in Hawaii's future.  This measure addresses the need to incorporate landscaping and culinary arts in the existing Agriculture Education Program.  However, your Committee believes that the approach should be much more expansive and comprehensive to include other agriculture-related industries to grow a diversified and qualified workforce to meet Hawaii's present and future needs.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the Department of Education's Agriculture Education Program shall encompass the fields of farming, diversified agriculture, landscaping, aquaculture, culinary arts, and related industries such as market development and science and technology;

     (2)  Making the Agricultural and Culinary Education Program a permanent program;

     (3)  Deleting the provision that required the Department of Agriculture to submit a report to the Legislature on the implementation of the Agriculture and Landscaping Education Program;

     (4)  Deleting the provision that the Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Department of Education, should determine whether one or two separate programs are necessary to support the agriculture and landscaping industries;

     (5)  Clarifying that the Department of Education shall consult with the Department of Agriculture and the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and College of Education in developing and implementing the Agriculture Education Program;

     (6)  Requiring the Department of Education to report to the Legislature on the implementation of and requests for further funding for the Agriculture Education Program; and

     (7)  Specifying that moneys appropriated for the support and maintenance of a comprehensive Agriculture Education Program shall be expended by the Department of Education.

     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. 885, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 885, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair