STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3306

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2180

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2180, H.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 appropriate funds to the University of Hawaii for the creation of a pilot project at its College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, to create new technologies for sustainable agriculture in the State through scientific research and support services.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii; the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; and five individuals.  The Department of Agriculture submitted written comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that the scarcity of natural resources and threats to food security prompt the need for Hawaii to commit to using new technologies to develop different forms of sustainable agriculture.  Problems such as climate change and the high cost of energy and waste management impede the development of sustainable agriculture and require farmers and agricultural producers to exhaust many of the natural resources that they depend on for agricultural production.  Your Committee believes that this measure will support research on efficient methods to aid low-impact sustainable farming, including water remediation, waste water detoxification, and sustainable conversion of agricultural wastes to energy and value-added projects.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Specifying that the appropriated funds shall be used for phase one of a pilot project to create new technologies for sustainable agriculture in the State through scientific research and support services for an integrated agricultural system that includes development of a multi-soil-layer water remediation system, solar and biological waste water detoxification, and sustainable conversion of agricultural wastes to energy and value-added projects;

(2)  Requiring the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii to submit a report to the Legislature on its progress and findings concerning the integrated agricultural system pilot project, including any recommendations, prior to the convening of the 2015 and 2016 Regular Sessions;

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

(4)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, 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 H.B. No. 2180, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2180, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair