STAND. COM. REP. NO. 239-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2305

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. 2305 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COFFEE BERRY BORER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to continue to combat the coffee berry borer beetle that is threatening the viability of Hawaii's coffee industry. The Pesticide Subsidy Program is designed to assist coffee growers by providing subsidies to offset the costs of purchasing qualifying pesticides known to be effective against the beetle. This measure extends the civil service exemption of the program's manager position to June 30, 2022, to enable applications for subsidies for costs incurred in the final year to be processed.

The Department of Agriculture, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, Hawaii Coffee Company, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc., Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Kaye

Family Farms, and a few concerned individuals supported this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 31, 2150, to encourage further discussion: and

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

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 intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2305, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2305, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Labor & Public Employment.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair