STAND. COM. REP. NO. 408-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2538

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. 2538 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to broaden the Agribusiness Development Corporation's waste-reduction and recycling projects. This measure authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds to finance the Corporation's public-private partnership to establish a livestock feed mill operation that uses waste materials, such as unusable macadamia nut fruit and shells, and converts the unusable agricultural parts and byproducts into aquaculture and livestock feed.

The Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness Development Corporation, Ulupono Initiative, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc., Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and Hawai‘i Farm Bureau supported this measure. Animal Rights Hawaii opposed this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2150, to encourage further discussion.

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. 2538, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2538, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair