STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2294

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2362

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2362 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IRRIGATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Director of Finance to issue general obligation bonds to finance capital improvements to various irrigation systems throughout the State.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Ka‘u Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Crop Improvement Association.

     Your Committees find that the State's irrigation systems provide one of the most essential resources to Hawaii's agricultural system.  Some of the irrigation systems in the State are over one hundred years old and in desperate need of improvement.  This measure is necessary to help extend the life of these irrigation systems so they can continue to be a resource for Hawaii's farmers.

     Your Committees note the testimony of the Department of Agriculture that the Kau irrigation system, while being a public system, may run through a portion of privately owned land.  Your Committees encourage the Department of Agriculture to continue to seek clarification on this issue as this measure progresses. 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding language to clearly state that the Kau irrigation system is essential to agricultural operations in the Kau area of the island of Hawaii and that an appropriation for the Kau irrigation system is in the public interest;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2012; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsusbtantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2362, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2362, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Water, Land, and Housing,

____________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair