STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2622

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2272

       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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2272 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A VAPOR HEAT TREATMENT FACILITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the construction of a vapor heat treatment facility on the island of Hawaii at a location to be determined by the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

     Written comments in support of this measure were submitted by the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

     Written comments in opposition to this measure were submitted by ILWU Local 142 and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that tropical fruits cannot be transported from Hawaii to the United States mainland or exported to other countries without quarantine unless first treated to prevent the entry of fruit flies.  Your Committee notes that vapor heat is a United States Department of Agriculture approved nonchemical fruit fly treatment.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will provide additional tropical fruit post-harvest treatment capacity on the island of Hawaii and will facilitate the ability of local fruit farmers to compete in a global market.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the means of financing the construction of the vapor heat treatment facility from general funds to general obligation funds; and

     (2)  Deleting the specific appropriation amount in Section 2 of the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2272, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2272, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair