STAND. COM. REP. NO.  509-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2424

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2424 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL BUILDING PERMITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt buildings or structures located on commercial farms or ranches that are used for general agricultural or aquacultural purposes from the county building permitting process.

The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Molokai Sea Farms; W.H. Shipman, Ltd.; Aquaculture Planning & Advocacy, LLC; Hawaii Livestock Farmers Coalition; Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association; Shrimp Improvement Systems Hawaii, LLC; High Health Aquaculture; Mokuleia Aquafarm; the Oceanic Institute; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; and two individuals testified in support of this measure.  Hawaii Farmers Union United testified in support of this measure with amendments.  The Department of Agriculture and Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii testified in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that agricultural buildings and structures that are exempted from county building permit requirements and that are serviced with electricity shall comply with the state building code electrical standard;

     (2)  Specifying that this measure is not meant to supersede public or private lease conditions;

     (3)  Amending the definitions of low-risk nonresidential buildings or structures and agricultural buildings;

     (4)  Changing the effective date to February 1, 2050, for the purposes of facilitating further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2424, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2424, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair