STAND. COM. REP. NO.  634

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 777

      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 Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 777, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to help farmers use water and gray water nutrients more efficiently by allowing gray water systems to be placed on agricultural lands.

The Hawaii Farmers Union United Kona Chapter supported this measure.  The Department of Agriculture supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of the Attorney General and Hawaii Farm Bureau provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its substantive contents and adopting the amendments proposed by the Department of the Attorney General, which amends section 342D-70, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the use of gray water for irrigation purposes.  As amended, this measure allows any person to use gray water for agricultural farming purposes, subject to certain conditions.

     Your Committee has further amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 31, 2150, to encourage further discussion.

     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 H.B. No. 777, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 777, H.D. 2, and be referred to your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair