STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1608-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2397

      S.D. 2

      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 Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to encourage agricultural innovation and support businesses in the agriculture industry by:

     (1)  Establishing an agricultural technology park to be developed and administered by the Board of Directors of the High Technology Development Corporation on specific parcels of land;

     (2)  Including the development of the agricultural technology park under the duties of the High Technology Development Corporation; and

     (3)  Appropriating an unspecified amount for the establishment of the agricultural technology park.

The Department of Agriculture; Sugarland Growers, Inc.; Wahiawa Community & Business Association; and several individuals supported this measure.  The High Technology Development Corporation and the Hawaii Farm Bureau commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation to an unspecified fiscal year, to facilitate further discussion.  Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair