STAND. COM. REP. NO. 680

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 753

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 753, S.D. 1, 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 Department of Agriculture to lease or otherwise dispose of lands to the Agribusiness Development Corporation for the purposes of chapter 163D, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     Your Committee finds that the Agribusiness Development Corporation was established to make optimal use of agricultural assets for the economic, environmental, and social benefit of the people of Hawaii.  Your Committee believes that, by authorizing the Department of Agriculture to lease or otherwise dispose of lands to the Agribusiness Development Corporation, this measure will promote agricultural growth and will help the State reach its food security goals.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the Agribusiness Development Corporation shall be exempt from qualification requirements under chapter 166E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the uses of non-agricultural park lands;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

     (3)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 753, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 753, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair