STAND. COM. REP. NO.  503-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   H.B. No. 2832

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2832 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TARO SECURITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to seek out funding for projects that increase the use and cultivation of Hawaiian taro.

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), the Taro Security and Purity Task Force, Hawaii Farmers Union, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Native Hawaiian Bar Association/Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation Peacemaking Project, and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Kauai County Farm Bureau, Kauai Taro Growers Association, and several concerned individuals opposed this bill.  DOA and a concerned individual provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by, among other things:

(1)  Changing the agency directed to seek out funds to restore Hawaiian taro and lo‘i cultivation (restoration projects) from DOA to OHA;

(2)  Authorizing rather than requiring funding to be sought for restoration projects;

(3)  Deleting provisions that:

(A)  Limit the use of funding for restoration projects only to those that use Hawaiian taro; and

(B)  Prohibit use of the funds for genetically modified taro;

(4)  Authorizing OHA to distribute funds for various restoration projects;

(5)  Adding "wetland restoration and preservation" as an authorized restoration project;

(6)  Deleting "research" as an authorized restoration project;

(7)  Deleting the sunset date of June 30, 2015, and making the provisions permanent;

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

(9)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, 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 H.B. No. 2832, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2832, 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