STAND. COM. REP. NO.  547-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2385

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2385 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IRRIGATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require that irrigation project water be used to irrigate agricultural and pasture land; provided that agricultural land shall first be served with water in times of drought or short supply.

Ulupono Initiative; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council; and Hawaii Farm Bureau testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Agriculture commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2385, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2385, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Agriculture.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair