STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3196

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 130

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 130 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BONA FIDE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCER TASK FORCE TO CREATE A DEFINITION FOR THE TERM "BONA FIDE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCER","

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the establishment of a Bona Fide Agricultural Producer Task Force to create a definition for the term "bona fide agricultural producer".

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Ulupono Initiative; Local Food Coalition; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Ponoholo Ranch; and Hawai‘i Farm Bureau.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

     Your Committee finds that there is no definition for "bona fide agricultural producer" in the Hawaii Revised Statutes, which has led to disagreement among policy makers and stakeholders when crafting legislation and incentives to benefit farmers.  Creating a single definition or multiple definitions of "bona fide agricultural producer" may require careful and substantial amendments to the Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Creating a single definition will likely require the development of standards and criteria to define what constitutes a qualifying level of performance or achievement for each category of agricultural producer and may need to be broad so as not to inadvertently exclude certain farmers.

     Your Committee further finds that the Task Force needs to be mindful that if the counties are also required to use the definition or definitions in their respective zoning ordinances, complex and multiple definitions may be difficult to administer.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 130 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair