STAND. COM. REP. NO. 621-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 1968

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 Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1968 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII COLLEGE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN RESOURCES COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support the ornamental plant industry, which is very important economically to Hawaii, by appropriating funds to the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Cooperative Extension Service for one full-time equivalent ornamental plant extension agent for the City and County of Honolulu.

The Department of Agriculture, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Mulkern Landscaping & Nursery, and two concerned individuals supported the measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Appropriating an unspecified amount of funds for four full-time equivalent ornamental plant extension agents--one each for the City and County of Honolulu, eastern portion of the County of Hawaii, County of Maui, and County of Kauai;

(2) Requiring the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to submit a report to the Legislature on the status of the ornamental plant extension agent positions and the reasons behind any vacancies that may exist;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee also notes that the broadest job description possible for ornamental plant extension agent should be considered.

Your Committee notes that while the original measure only included an appropriation for an extra extension agent for the island of Oahu, through testimony it was ascertained that the need for additional ornamental plant extension agents is also warranted on Kauai, Maui, and on the east side of Hawaii Island as well.

Your Committee also finds that even though there were allocations in the past for these types of positions, many of these positions had gone unfilled due to various circumstances and as such, the measure has been amended requiring the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to submit a report to the Legislature on the status of the positions and the reasons behind any vacancies that may exist despite the appropriations.

Should your Committee on Finance choose to deliberate further on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that the sum of $400,000, as requested by the University of Hawaii, be appropriated.

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. 1968, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1968, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair