STAND. COM. REP. NO. 232

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 591

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 591 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs 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 fund capital improvements on the former Galbraith Estate property.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Local Food Coalition, Ulupono Initiative, and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council.  Your Committee received comments from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will provide the capital necessary to make improvements and develop the Galbraith Estate land recently acquired by the State for agricultural endeavors.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that the State acquired over 1,700 acres of land from the Galbraith Estate, 1,207 acres of which was acquired by the Department of Agriculture and the rest of which was acquired by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

     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. 591, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 591, 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