STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2700

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2849

       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 Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2849 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to permit lands in agricultural land use districts to be used for agricultural-energy facilities, provided that the primary activity of the agricultural-energy enterprise is agricultural activity.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Maui County Farm Bureau, and Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.  Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture.

     The Hawaii Agriculture Research Center presented testimony requesting an amendment to this measure to ensure that it could continue its planned usage of the Del Monte Village including agricultural worker rental housing and agricultural business support services. 

     In light of the Hawaii Agricultural Research Center's concerns and noting the importance of this project, your Committees have amended this measure by making agricultural worker rental housing and agricultural business support services permitted uses within plantation subdivisions in agricultural districts.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs and Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2849, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2849, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________ RON MENOR, Chair

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair