STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2929

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 283

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 283, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE FUNDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the transfer of excess monies in the agricultural loan revolving fund to the pest inspection, quarantine, and eradication fund.  

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Hawaii Coffee Company; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Ka‘u Farm Bureau; Hawaii Farmers Union United; Kona Coffee Farmers Association; Greenwell Farms, Inc.; and seventeen individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from Luther Coffee Farm, Kanalani Ohana Farm, and Mokulele Farms.

     Your Committee finds that the agricultural loan revolving fund has at least $140,000 in excess of the requirements of the fund.  Your Committee further finds that these excess funds could benefit the Department of Agriculture's program to control and eradicate the coffee borer beetle, which is causing havoc on Hawaii's coffee farmers.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending the reference to the "coffee borer beetle" to the "coffee berry borer" to more accurately reflect the name of the pest; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2025, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 283, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 283, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair