STAND. COM. REP. NO.  944-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2657

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

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. 2657, 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 financially assist farmers and ranchers on Molokai with the costs of complying with federal and state food safety laws by, among other things:

 

     (1)  Expanding the Maui County Revolving Loan Program to include the provision of financial assistance to qualified applicants for costs incurred in complying with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act and state food safety laws; and

 

     (2)  Appropriating funds for the Maui Office of Economic Development to review and approve cost reimbursement applications.

 

     A Councilmember of the Maui County Council; Hawaii Farm Bureau; and one concerned individual supported this measure.  The Department of Agriculture provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Establishing a cost reimbursement program instead of a revolving loan program;

 

     (2)  Specifying that no cost reimbursement shall be allowed for costs that were incurred more than five years prior to the time the application for cost reimbursement is received by the County of Maui;

 

     (3)  Removing the provision that allowed for payments, interest, and fees collected to be deposited into a revolving fund;

 

     (4)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (5)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments 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 H.B. No. 2657, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2657, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair