HB2231

SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to address "important agricultural lands" by:

(1) Requiring the department of agriculture and department of land and natural resources to jointly identify the state-owned lands that should be designated as "important agricultural lands"; and

(2) Transferring management authority over those lands to the department of agriculture.

SECTION 2. Chapter 205, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part III to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§205‑A Important agricultural lands; public lands. (a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, before December 31, 2009, the department of agriculture and the department of land and natural resources shall collaborate to identify public lands as defined under section 171‑2, that should be designated important agricultural lands as defined in section 205‑42 and shall cause to be prepared maps delineating those lands.

(b) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, beginning January 1, 2010, after receipt of the maps of public lands identified as important agricultural lands pursuant to subsection (a), the commission shall designate the public lands as important agricultural lands and adopt the maps of those public lands. Upon designation, the public lands shall be subject to this chapter; provided that section 205‑45(d) shall not apply."

SECTION 3. Section 141-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§141-1 Duties in general. The department of agriculture shall:

(1) Gather, compile, and tabulate, from time to time, information and statistics concerning:

(A) Entomology and plant pathology: Insects, scales, blights, and diseases injurious[,] or liable to become injurious[,] to trees, plants, or other vegetation, and the ways and means of exterminating pests and diseases already in the State and preventing the introduction of [~~those~~] pests and diseases not yet here; and

(B) General agriculture: Fruits, fibres, and useful or ornamental plants and their introduction, development, care, and manufacture or exportation, with a view to introducing, establishing, and fostering new and valuable plants and industries;

(2) Encourage and cooperate with the agricultural extension service and agricultural experiment station of the University of Hawaii and all private persons and organizations doing work of an experimental or educational character coming within the scope of the subject matter of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A, and avoid, as far as practicable, duplicating the work of those persons and organizations;

(3) Enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, or other transactions with any person, agency, or organization, public or private, as may be necessary in the conduct of the department's business and on such terms as the department may deem appropriate; provided that the department shall not obligate any funds of the State, except the funds that have been appropriated to the department. Pursuant to cooperative agreement with any authorized federal agency, employees of the cooperative agency may be designated to carry out, on behalf of the State the same as department personnel, specific duties and responsibilities under chapters 141, 142, 150A, and rules adopted pursuant to those chapters, for the effective prosecution of pest control[,] and animal disease control[,] and the regulation of import into the State and intrastate movement of regulated articles;

(4) Secure copies of the laws of other states, territories, and countries, and other publications germane to the subject matters of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A, and make laws and publications available for public information and consultation;

(5) Provide buildings, grounds, apparatus, and appurtenances necessary for the examination, quarantine, inspection, and fumigation provided for by chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A; for the obtaining, propagation, study, and distribution of beneficial insects, growths, and antidotes for the eradication of insects, blights, scales, or diseases injurious to vegetation of value and for the destruction of injurious vegetation; and for carrying out any other purposes of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A;

(6) Formulate and recommend to the governor and legislature additional legislation necessary or desirable for carrying out the purposes of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A;

(7) Publish at the end of each year a report of the expenditures and proceedings of the department and of the results achieved by the department, together with other matters germane to chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A[,] and [~~which~~] that the department may deem proper;

(8) Administer a program of agricultural planning and development, including the formulation and implementation of general and special plans, including but not limited to the functional plan for agriculture; administer the planning, development, and management of the agricultural park program; plan, construct, operate, and maintain the state irrigation water systems; review, interpret, and make recommendations with respect to public policies and actions relating to agricultural land and water use; assist in research, evaluation, development, enhancement, and expansion of local agricultural industries; and serve as liaison with other public agencies and private organizations for the above purposes. In the foregoing, the department of agriculture shall act to conserve and protect agricultural lands and irrigation water systems, promote diversified agriculture, increase agricultural self-sufficiency, and ensure the availability of agriculturally suitable lands[.]; and

(9) Manage, administer, and exercise control over any public lands, as defined under section 171‑2, that are designated important agricultural lands pursuant to section 205‑A, including but not limited to establishing priorities for the leasing of the public lands within the department's jurisdiction."

SECTION 4. Section 171-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§171-3 Department of land and natural resources. (a) The department of land and natural resources shall be headed by an executive board to be known as the board of land and natural resources. The department shall manage, administer, and exercise control over public lands, the water resources, ocean waters, navigable streams, coastal areas (excluding commercial harbor areas), and minerals and all other interests therein and exercise such powers of disposition thereof as may be authorized by law. The department shall also manage and administer the state parks, historical sites, forests, forest reserves, aquatic life, aquatic life sanctuaries, public fishing areas, boating, ocean recreation, coastal programs, wildlife, wildlife sanctuaries, game management areas, public hunting areas, natural area reserves, and other functions assigned by law.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), beginning January 1, 2010, the authority to manage, administer, and exercise control over any public lands that are designated important agricultural lands pursuant to section 205‑A, shall be transferred to the department of agriculture."

SECTION 5. All appropriations, records, equipment, machines, files, supplies, contracts, books, papers, documents, maps, and other personal property heretofore made, used, acquired, or held by the department of land and natural resources relating to the functions transferred to the department of agriculture shall be transferred with the functions to which they relate.

SECTION 6. In codifying the new section added by section 1 of this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute an appropriate section number for the letter used in designating the new section in this Act.

SECTION 7. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 4 of this Act shall take effect on January 1, 2010.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2231
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII