STAND. COM. REP. NO. 624

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 375

       S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 375, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INDUSTRIAL HEMP,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the growing of industrial hemp and to appropriate funds to the Department of Agriculture to implement the measure.

     Specifically, this measure:

(1)  Decriminalizes activities related to industrial hemp;

(2)  Requires growers of industrial hemp to register with the Board of Agriculture to grow only industrial hemp that is on a list of approved seed cultivars; and

(3)  Excludes institutions of higher education and registered seed breeders from the registration requirement.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii, ILWU Local 142, Hawaii Farmers Union United, Ai Pohaku, Ilio Lani Farm LLC, Laakea Community LLC, One Island Sustainable Living, Flavor of Hawaii Farms, Green Futures, Waihuena Farm, and one hundred and five individuals.  Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that industrial hemp is a crop that is worthy of consideration for its economic potential.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Correcting the name of an entity to "the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development";

(2)  Designating sections 141-1 to 141-10, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as "Part I.  General Provisions";

(3)  Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(4)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

     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 S.B. No. 375, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 375, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair