STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1709-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2915

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TARO,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to guide policy and prioritize research for the protection of taro by establishing the Taro Security and Purity Task Force (Task Force) and appropriating an unspecified amount for this purpose.

The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Maui County Farm Bureau, and several individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and the Department of Agriculture (DOA) offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Adding a representative from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to the Task Force;

     (2)  Requiring the Task Force to:

          (A)  Develop a program to provide taro education and training opportunities;

          (B)  Develop a program for commercial taro growers to maximize business viability and success;

          (C)  Develop a taro farming grant program to help preserve the cultural legacy of taro farming;

          (D)  Discuss the feasibility and impact of requiring DLNR to provide reduced lease rents for taro farmers on state-leased lands; and

          (E)  Develop taro research and outreach for the control and eradication of apple snails;

     (3)  Requiring the Task Force to include information on actual expenditures in its report to the Legislature;

     (4)  Specifying that funds shall also be used for taro research and outreach for the control and eradication of apple snails;

     (5)  Designating OHA instead of DOA as the expending agency;

     (6)  Allowing OHA the flexibility to determine appropriation amounts for specific Task Force activities;

     (7)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for consistency, clarity, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2915, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair