STAND. COM. REP. NO.  888

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 1277

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1277, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE STATEWIDE AGRICULTURE WATER DEVELOPMENT STUDY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to assist the State in developing a long-range management plan that assesses state and private agricultural water use, supply, and irrigation water systems by appropriating funds out of the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund for the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to complete the Statewide Agriculture Water Use and Development Plan.

     The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and Kauai County Farm Bureau supported this bill.  DOA provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 1277, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1277, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair