STAND. COM. REP. NO.  5

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 96

      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 Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 96 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INDUSTRIAL HEMP,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to transition from an industrial hemp pilot program to the regulated cultivation of industrial hemp on a permanent statewide basis.

Hawaii Farmers Union United and numerous concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of the Attorney General and Hawaii Farm Bureau submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the preamble and amending--instead of repealing--the industrial hemp pilot program as follows:

     (1)  Allowing an application to grow industrial hemp to be submitted at any time during the year in which the applicant plans to grow industrial hemp;

     (2)  Deleting provisions requiring that an application for movement permit be submitted prior to moving industrial hemp from a permitted location, and directing compliance with reporting requirements established by the Board of Agriculture;

     (3)  Deleting requirements for the use of case hardened locks and chains, marking equipment and plants, and blocking private access roads; and

     (4)  No longer requiring industrial-hemp licensees to employ a physical barrier to isolate industrial hemp from other plants.

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity and consistency.

     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. 96, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 96, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair