STAND. COM. REP. NO. 40

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 530

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 530 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE KAMUELA VACUUM COOLING PLANT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an appropriation for phase II of the renovations to the Kamuela Vacuum Cooling Plant.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     Your Committee finds that the Kamuela Vacuum Cooling Plant is located in the Waimea area of the island of Hawaii, a major producer of Hawaii-grown leafy green vegetables and peppers, and is in need of improvements.  Your Committee further finds that the plant is decades old, and the cooling equipment requires replacement to enable the continued production and consolidation of agricultural commodities from the Waimea region.

     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. 530 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair