STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1474

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 Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 823, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve enforcement mechanisms for agricultural theft or agricultural vandalism on the County of Hawaii.

     Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Requires the Department of Agriculture to:

          (A)  Establish a two-year agricultural theft pilot project to focus on investigating and prosecuting agricultural theft or agricultural vandalism in the County of Hawaii;

          (B)  Partner with the County of Hawaii to hire an enforcement officer within the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Hawaii; and

          (C)  Assess the implementation of the pilot project and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature; and

     (2)  Provides a grant-in-aid to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Hawaii, for the pilot project.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Hawaii; the Hawaii Farm Bureau; and the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association.

     Your Committee finds that agricultural theft or agricultural vandalism has been a constant threat for farmers and ranchers in the County of Hawaii.  Your Committee further finds that, due to the broad acreage that many farming operations encompass, it is often difficult for farmers to police their entire operations at all times.  Your Committee believes that the enforcement mechanisms in this measure will help reduce the cost of production for farming operations in the County of Hawaii, thereby improving their chances for success.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 823, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair