STAND. COM. REP. NO.  328-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2093

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Higher Education and Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2093, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support agricultural education in the State by establishing a Center for Agricultural Leadership within the University of Hawaii and requiring the University to establish a two-year pilot project at one high school in each county to determine the steps necessary for a school farm to be food safety certified by the State Department of Agriculture.

     This measure also appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii to implement this measure.

The Kohala Center and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Education supported the intent of this measure.  The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation opposed this measure.  The University of Hawaii System and a concerned individual provided comments.

     Your Committees find that rather than limiting the pilot project established by this bill to one high school in each county, it may be more equitable to implement the project at each of the school campuses in the State that currently maintain an active Future Farmers of America chapter.  Your Committees note, however, the fiscal concerns that provisions of this measure may generate and respectfully request the Committee on Finance to consider how such provisions may be implemented should resources not be available this year.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Specifying that the Center for Agricultural Leadership will be established within the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2093, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2093, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and Education,

____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair

____________________________ SCOTT NISHIMOTO, Chair