STAND. COM. REP. NO.  976

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1584

      H.D. 2

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. 1584, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the counties to make recommendations for important agricultural land designations by June 30, 2019;

     (2)  Require the Land Use Commission to identify and designate important agricultural lands by June 30, 2020, in any county that fails to meet the June 30, 2019 deadline;

     (3)  Amend the Important Agricultural Land Qualified Agricultural Cost Tax Credit to:

          (A)  Include under the definition of "qualified agricultural costs" the costs associated with the clearing, removal of trees and debris, and soil restoration of former sugar and pineapple plantation lands that have been out of use for more than three years;

          (B)  Extend the tax credit by 10 years; and

          (C)  Clarify the credit amount for each year in which the credit is claimed; and

     (4)  Appropriate funds to identify and map important agricultural lands. 

The Land Use Commission, The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Ulupono Initiative, and Hawaii Farm Bureau supported this measure.  The Office of Planning, Department of Taxation, Department of Agriculture, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., and an individual provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the amount appropriated to an unspecified sum; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 1584, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1584, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair