STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1194

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 808

      S.D. 1

      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 Water & Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 808, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for the operational expenses and staffing costs of the Hawaii Association of Conservation Districts.

Hawaii Association of Conservation Districts, Mauna Kea Soil & Water Conservation District, East and West Kauai Soil and Water Conservation Districts, South Oahu Soil and Water Conservation District, Kona Soil and Water Conservation District, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Maui Chamber of Commerce, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Local Food Coalition, McCandless Ranch, Larry Jefts Farms, LLC, Ponoholo Ranch Limited, Monsanto, Island Princess Macadamia, and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Agriculture; Department of Land and Natural Resources; and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; provided comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Narrowing down the preamble to only its purpose section; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 808, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 808, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair