STAND. COM. REP. NO.  440-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2011

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2011 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to give the Agribusiness Development Corporation additional means to move Hawaii closer to food sustainability and self-sufficiency by, among other things:

     (1)  Authorizing the Corporation to issue up to $175,000,000 in revenue bonds to acquire specified agricultural lands owned by the Dole Food Company on the island of Oahu;

     (2)  Establishing the Agribusiness Land and Facilities Special Fund that will be the depository of revenues from, and used to operate, manage, and maintain, the Dole Food Company lands;

     (3)  Requiring counties to enact an agriculture subdivision code to promote agriculture; provided that should the counties fail to do so by 2015, the Corporation may establish a code;

     (4)  Authorizing the Corporation to subdivide agricultural lands controlled by the State, exempt from county infrastructure and road requirements, to encourage farming; and

     (5)  In awarding leases, requiring the Corporation to give priority to agricultural and livestock farmers who produce products for human consumption in the State.

The Trust for Public Land, North Shore Community Land Trust, and Ulupono Initiative supported this bill.  The Department of Budget and Finance and Agribusiness Development Corporation commented on the 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. 2011 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JESSICA WOOLEY, Chair