CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 18

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2011

RE:    S.B. No. 14

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 14, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Expand the authorized uses of monies in the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund to include the improvement of dams and reservoirs, as well as water quality testing and improvement;

     (2)  Specify that the monies in the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund may also be used for investigative studies to identify and assess necessary improvements to dams, reservoirs, irrigation systems, and transportation networks; and

     (3)  Authorize the Director of Finance to issue general obligation bonds in an unspecified amount and deposit the revenues into the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund for dam, reservoir, or irrigation system improvements.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that dams and reservoirs are critical components of functioning irrigation systems.  This measure will allow the use of Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund monies for improvements and investigative studies of dams and reservoirs.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing sections 2 and 3 of this measure relating to the issuance of general obligation bonds and deposit of the revenues into the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund and the expenditure of those monies by the Department of Agriculture;

     (2)  Making this measure effective on July 1, 2011; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 14, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 14, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ CLIFT TSUJI, Co-Chair	____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair
____________________________ JERRY L. CHANG, Co-Chair	____________________________ MICHELLE KIDANI, Co-Chair
____________________________ MARK J. HASHEM, Co-Chair	____________________________ RONALD D. KOUCHI, Co-Chair