STAND. COM. REP. NO.  347

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 507

      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. 507 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to control the spread of the macadamia felted coccid to areas free of its infestation by appropriating funds to the Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), to research and develop methods for the prevention and treatment of macadamia felted coccid.

The Department of Agriculture, CTAHR, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Macadamia Nut Association, and two concerned individuals supported this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

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

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating the sum of $1,000,000 for each year of fiscal biennium 2015-2017 to protect macadamia nut crops, among the top five highest grossing agricultural commodities in Hawaii, from the macadamia felted coccid that can cause severe damage to macadamia nut trees.

     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. 507, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 507, 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