STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1144-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   S.B. No. 2803

      S.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 Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2803, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE AGRICULTURAL LOAN REVOLVING FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make affordable capital accessible to farmers so that they may increase local food production and thereby make Hawaii more food self-sufficient by appropriating additional funds to the Agricultural Loan Revolving Fund.

The Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Ulupono Initiative, and a concerned individual supported this measure.

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure further, your Committee on Agriculture respectfully requests that it appropriate $4,000,0000 in general funds into the Agricultural Loan Revolving Fund for the purposes of the Fund.

     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 S.B. No. 2803, S.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair