STAND. COM. REP. NO. 84

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 624

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 624 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Governor and Board of Agriculture to develop a strategic plan outlining benchmarks to achieve the Governor's goal of doubling food production by 2020.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Ka ‘Ohana O Na Pua; Hawaii Center for Food Safety; Hawaii Sustainable Farms LLC; Ponoholo Ranch, Limited; and seven individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System.

     Your Committee finds that Governor Ige recently set the policy goal of doubling food production by 2020; however, details on how to achieve this objective have yet to be identified.  Factors including preservation of agricultural land, identification of food crops for local production, irrigation and agricultural infrastructure improvements, and compliance with the federal Food Safety Modernization Act need immediate attention in order for the goal of doubling food production by 2020 to be a realistic objective.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  As recommended by the Department of Agriculture, replacing the Board of Agriculture with the Department of Agriculture as the entity responsible for developing the strategic plan;

     (2)  Specifying that the Department of Agriculture shall submit the strategic plan, rather than a report, to the Legislature; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 624, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 624, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair