STAND. COM. REP. NO. 286

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 753

       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. 753 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)  Authorize the Department of Agriculture to lease or dispose of lands to the Agribusiness Development Corporation; and

     (2)  Exempt non-agricultural park lands disposed to the Agribusiness Development Corporation from certain lease requirements required by law.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council.

     Your Committee finds that allowing the Department of Agriculture to enter into leases with the Agribusiness Development Corporation will promote agricultural growth and will help the State reduce its reliance on imported food.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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. 753, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 753, 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