STAND. COM. REP. NO.  259-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2431

      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. 2431 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make the purchase of locally grown products an objective, policy, and priority guideline under the Hawaii State Planning Act.

The State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Farmers Union, Sierra Club, Haleiwa Farmers Market, and Poamoho Organic Produce testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

     (2)  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. 2431, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2431, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair