STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3700

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2538

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2538, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Director of Finance to issue general obligation bonds for the planning, designing, and construction of a livestock feed mill.

Prior to decision making on this measure, your Committee made available for public review a proposed S.D. 2 (Proposed Draft) of this measure. The Proposed Draft amends the measure by replacing its entire contents with provisions that amend the descriptions of capital improvement projects related to a livestock feed mill and a waste stream recycling facility on Oahu in the General Appropriations Act of 2015, as amended.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the S.D. 1 version of the measure from the Department of Agriculture, Ulupono Initiative, and Hawaii Cattlemens Council.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the Proposed Draft from the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and the Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i.

Your Committee finds that constructing a livestock feed mill in the State will reduce livestock production costs by eliminating the high cost of importing feed.

Your Committee has amended the measure by clarifying that certain appropriations made under Act 119, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, as amended by Act 124, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, and Acts 29 and 49, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, are lapsed.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2538, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2538, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair