STAND. COM. REP. NO.  346

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 503

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 503 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DROUGHT MITIGATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assist counties in implementing their respective drought mitigation strategies, as incorporated in the Hawaii Drought Plan, by appropriating funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for drought mitigation projects and measures in each county.

A member of the Maui County Council, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Maui County Farm Bureau, and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Department of Agriculture supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriated amount to an unspecified sum; and

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

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $4,000,000 for county drought mitigation projects and measures to address the local needs and concerns of each county.

     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. 503, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 503, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair