STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2244

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2907

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2907 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL HOMESTEADING DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a Pastoral and Agricultural Homesteading Division within the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly, Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders' Association, Inc., Puakala Farms, Ikaika O Kalani Farms, and three individuals.

     Your Committee finds that pastoral and agricultural homesteading is one of the major programs of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to satisfy the mandates of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, as amended.  Unless priority is given to pastoral and agricultural programming, emphasis upon utilizing trust lands for beneficiary purposes will be lost to commercial development.  Your Committee finds that pastoral and agricultural endeavors are consistent with the State's strategies.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2907 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair