STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1527-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2175

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2175, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INDUSTRIAL HEMP,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a two-year industrial hemp phytoremediation and biofuel research program within the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.  

The University of Hawaii System; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaiian Standard and Green Futures; Vote Hemp; Hawaii Farmers Union United; Life of the Land; and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu and Honolulu Police Department testified in opposition to this bill.  The Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Safety, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, and several concerned individuals provided comments.   

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring as opposed to authorizing the Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii to submit a final report to the Legislature;

     (2)  Removing unnecessary requirements placed on the program site and participants to register with state and federal drug enforcement agencies;

     (3)  Deleting unnecessary language excluding any participant found to grow or cultivate marijuana from immunity provided for industrial hemp for research purposes because growing or cultivating marijuana is illegal and does not fall under the immunity provisions of this measure;

     (4)  Deleting the appropriation made from the general fund to establish the program;

     (5)  Making it effective on July 1, 2014; and

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2175, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2175, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair