STAND. COM. REP. NO.  303-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1676

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1676 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure that the City and County of Honolulu, the hub of the State's agricultural industry, is represented on the Board of Agriculture (Board) by increasing the membership of the ten-member Board to eleven with the eleventh Board member being required to be a resident of the City and County of Honolulu.

A concerned individual testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Farm Bureau supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Agriculture submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Reinstating the ten-member Board while maintaining the requirement that one member is a resident of the City and County of Honolulu, but reducing the number of at large members from four to three;  

     (2)  Changing its effective date to January 20, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     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. 1676, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1676, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair