STAND. COM. REP. NO.  763

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1279

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1279, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL FOOD PRODUCTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Community Food Systems Center at the University of Hawaii, West Oahu, to expand its existing education for sustainable agricultural food production by:

     (1)  Establishing scholarships for the Community Food Systems Concentration;

     (2)  Creating positions for a full-time garden manager and part-time student assistants for the student organic garden;

     (3)  Creating a Hawaiian Center for Sustainable Community Food upon completion of a feasibility study; and

     (4)  Implementing research projects, hosting conferences, and employing additional staff and faculty as the director of the program deems necessary.

The Department of Agriculture, University of Hawaii, and Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development supported this measure.  The Office of Planning provided comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1279, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair