STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3086

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2115

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2115, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the operations of the K-12 agriculture workforce development pipeline initiative.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Agriculture; Department of Education; Hawaii State Teachers Association; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; Hawaii Farmers Union United; Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; Hawaii Island Economic Development Board; Kulahaven Farms LLC; Maui County Farm Bureau; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; and fifteen individuals.

Your Committees find that Act 229, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, implemented the recommendation of the Hawaii Agriculture Workforce Advisory Board to establish the K-12 agriculture workforce development pipeline initiative to conduct training on all islands for teachers and school administrators in agricultural self-sufficiency. Your Committees further find that financial support for the initiative is in the best interest of the State as it promotes the expansion and development of the State's agricultural workforce and industry.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation amount of $200,000;

(2) Requiring the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to submit annual reports to the Legislature; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2115, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2115, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Labor,

________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair