CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 87

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2013

RE:    S.B. No. 757

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 757, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Appropriate funds to the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii to operate and implement the Future Farmers of America and 4-H programs;

     (2)  Amend public land classifications to add taro lands for wetland cultivation as a fourth class of intensive agricultural use lands;

     (3)  Define taro lands and include retention of supporting structures for taro fields in the list of permitted uses for certain agricultural lands; and

     (4)  Add the growth and perpetuation of all traditional Hawaiian crops to agricultural objectives in the state plan.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the State must encourage younger generations to become farmers and ranchers if it is going to improve the State's agricultural sustainability.  This is especially important in Hawaii due to the fact that the average age of farmers in Hawaii is approximately fifty-nine years old.  This measure appropriates funds to the Future Farmers of America to encourage youth to pursue agricultural careers.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $75,000 to the Department of Education to fund the Future Farmers of America program and applying the appropriation to fiscal year 2013-2014;

     (2)  Removing appropriations for and reference to the 4-H program;

     (3)  Removing Part II of this measure, which would have:

          (A)  Amended public land classifications to add taro lands for wetland cultivation as a fourth class of intensive agricultural use lands;

          (B)  Defined taro lands and included retention of supporting structures for taro fields in the list of permitted uses for certain agricultural lands; and

          (C)  Added the growth and perpetuation of all traditional Hawaiian crops to agricultural objectives in the state plan;

     (4)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2013; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 757, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 757, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JESSICA WOOLEY, Co-Chair	____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair
____________________________ RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Co-Chair	____________________________ RONALD D. KOUCHI, Co-Chair