STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3705

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1577

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1577, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMPOSTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the composting grant pilot project working group.

Prior to decision making on this measure, your Committee made available for public review a proposed S.D. 2 (Proposed Draft) of this measure. The Proposed Draft:

(1) Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish and implement a compost reimbursement pilot program to provide cost reimbursement to local farmers and ranchers for the purchase of compost;

(2) Establishes a full-time, temporary compost reimbursement pilot program manager position within the Department;

(3) Requires the Department to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2022; and

(4) Appropriates moneys to the Department for the pilot program, the program manager position, and other administrative costs of the program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the Proposed Draft from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i.

Your Committee finds that promoting the recycling of food waste into compost will benefit the environment by removing a major source of waste from streams and landfills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting the contents of the Proposed Draft as a Part II of the measure;

(2) Inserting a lapsing date of June 30, 2020, for the appropriation for the compost reimbursement pilot program;

(3) Changing the effective date to "upon approval"; and

(4) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1577, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1577, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair