STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1133

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 823

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 823, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL THEFT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a two-year agricultural theft pilot project to focus on investigating and prosecuting agricultural theft or agricultural vandalism in the County of Hawaii.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Hawaii; Hawaii Farm Bureau; Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council; Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; and one individual.

     Your Committees find that agricultural theft or agricultural vandalism is a constant worry for farmers and ranchers and given the broad acreage that many farming operations encompass, it is often difficult for farmers to police their entire operations at all times.  Furthermore, vigilance at night after work hours may be challenging because not all farmers and ranchers are able to live on or near the fields where they work.  All of these factors make agricultural operations easy prey for theft or vandalism.

     Your Committees further find that agricultural theft or agricultural vandalism has especially been a constant threat for farmers and ranchers on the Island of Hawaii, increasing the cost of production and making it more difficult for farming operations to be successful.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting language to change the appropriation to a grant-in-aid to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Hawaii;

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 823, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 823, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Judiciary and Labor,

________________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair

________________________________ RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair