STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3101

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 935

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs and Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 935, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the increased cost of, and to attract federal funding for, statewide technical assistance provided to the aquaculture industry through the University of Hawaii Sea Grant Extension Service.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Aquaculture Association, Pacific Aquaculture and Biotechnology LLC, Kona Blue Water Farms, LLC, Oceanic Institute, High Health Aquaculture Inc., Kohala Crawfish Farm, Deep Blue Research, Reef Culture Technologies, LLC, and two individuals.  Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Science and Technology Council.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by adding as Part II, an appropriation to the Oceanic Institute to complete the Hawaii Feed Mill project located at the University of Hawaii at Hilo research farm at Panaewa, Hawaii.

     Your Committees find that approximately $1.7 million has been spent on equipment and federal and state funding of $1.5 million has been secured for the Hawaii Feed Mill project.  The Oceanic Institute estimates that it requires an additional one million dollars to complete the Hawaii Feed Mill project.  In addition to this effort, the Oceanic Institute has been working closely with the University of Hawaii at Hilo on aquaculture projects at Puhi Bay.  Your Committees recommend that the Committee on Ways and Means consider inserting an appropriation in the amount of one million dollars for Part II of this measure.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 935, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 935, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs and Education,

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair