STAND. COM. REP. NO.  672-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1999

      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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1999, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the high cost of feed and the lack of local feed mills in Hawaii by:

     (1)  Establishing and funding a grant program for qualified feed developers to cover a percentage of their feed development costs up to a specified cap;

     (2)  Appropriating funds to reimburse qualified producers of certain products for their cost of feed;

     (3)  Appropriating funds to reimburse qualified feed developers for the costs of development of feed for sale to qualified producers; and

     (4)  Appropriating funds for the Department of Agriculture to conduct a survey to identify, assess, and validate locally sourced feed ingredients that are available to qualified feed developers.

The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Ulupono Initiative, Kauai Kunana Dairy, Big Island Dairy, LLC, and Maui County Farm Bureau provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Agriculture provided comments.

     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 H.B. No. 1999, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair