STAND. COM. REP. NO.  523-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2676

      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 Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2676, 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 encourage farming in the State by establishing a five-year energy independent farming community pilot project to provide support to persons who want to be farmers, and appropriate funds to the University of Hawaii for the planning of this project.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Department of Agriculture, the Director of the Agribusiness Incubator Program, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and one individual testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended the measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2525, to facilitate further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2676, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2676, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

____________________________

ISAAC W. CHOY, Chair