STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2290

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2351

       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 S.B. No. 2351 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Department of Agriculture to establish and maintain an online system of licensure for commission merchants, dealers, brokers, agents, processors, and retail merchants of farm products; and

     (2)  Establish the Department of Agriculture operations special fund.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will allow the Department of Agriculture to streamline and improve procedures for licensure for commission merchants, dealers, brokers, agents, processors, and retail merchants of farm products.  However, your Committee does recognize concerns that the cost to maintain an online licensure system is unknown at this time.

     As such, your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 4, 2050, to ensure 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 S.B. No. 2351, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2351, 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