STAND. COM. REP. NO.  671

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1279

      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 Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1279 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL FOOD PRODUCTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Community Food Systems Center at the University of Hawaii, West Oahu, to expand upon its existing education for sustainable agricultural food production by:

(1)  Establishing scholarships for students in the Community Food Systems Concentration;

(2)  Creating positions for a full-time garden manager and part-time student assistants for the student organic garden;

(3)  Creating a Hawaii Center for Sustainable Community Food Systems;

(4)  Establishing Hawaii State Teachers Association professional development days with Oahu high schools students to encourage education and understanding of sustainable food systems; and

(5)  Implementing research projects, hosting conferences, and employing additional staff and faculty as the director of the program deems necessary.

The University of Hawaii- West Oahu, Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development, Counter Culture Farm, MA‘O Organic Farms and three concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Office of Planning supported the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring a feasibility and benefits study prior to creating a Hawaii Center for Sustainable Community Food Systems;

     (2)  Deleting the establishment of Hawaii State Teachers Association professional development days; and

     (3)  Amending the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1279, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1279, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair