STAND. COM. REP. NO.  192-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

RE:   H.B. No. 1688

      H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1688 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to effectuate its title.

     H.B. No. 1688 was introduced as a short-form bill, which is sometimes referred to as a "vehicle" bill primarily used to introduce a bill containing only a general idea as to the purpose of the bill without specific details in the long form.

     Your Committee has amended the bill to provide the substantive contents of the bill in long form so that a public hearing may be properly held on its substantive contents.

The purpose of this amended measure is to:

(1)  Address the growing threat of rat lungworm disease in the State by appropriating funds to the Department of Agriculture to survey, test, and treat the disease in animals, including cats, dogs, horses, and freshwater fish; and

(2)  Increase Hawaii's food security by appropriating funds to the Department of Agriculture for researching, developing, and supporting aquaponics in the State.

     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 action to report out H.B. No. 1688, as amended herein, and recommends that it be recommitted to your Committee on Agriculture, for the purpose of holding a public hearing thereon, in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1688, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair