STAND. COM. REP. NO.  248

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 748

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 748 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE REVENUE BONDS TO ASSIST AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support Hawaii's agriculture industry by proposing an amendment to the Hawaii State Constitution to permit the State to issue special purpose revenue bonds and use the proceeds from the bonds to assist agricultural enterprises.

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.; Hawaii Bioenergy, LLC; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; UluPono Initiative and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Budget and Finance provided comments on this measure.  

     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. 748 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

JESSICA WOOLEY, Chair