STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1115-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2041

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2041, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AQUACULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to further develop Hawaii's aquaculture industry by appropriating funds to establish an aquaculture incubator at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority on the island of Hawaii to bring together aquaculture entrepreneurs and investors.

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority, Chair of the Hawaii County Council's Committee on Agriculture, Water and Energy, Blue Ocean Mariculture, Cyanotech Corporation, Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Marine Genetics, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Ulupono Initiative, Aquaculture Planning and Advocacy LLC, and several individuals supported this measure. The Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation, and Hawaii Technology Development Corporation offered comments for this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amount from $500,000 to an unspecified amount; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2041, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2041, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair