STAND. COM. REP. NO. 141-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2632

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 Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2632 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING ON AGRICULTURAL LAND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support Hawaii's agricultural landowners in recruiting and retaining farmworkers by allowing agricultural landowners to build, subject to certain requirements, on-farm and near-farm affordable housing for farmworkers.

The League of Women Voters of Hawaii supported this measure. The Department of Agriculture, Land Use Commission, and Office of Planning supported the intent of this measure and offered comments.

Your Committee finds that on-farm and near-farm housing may assist agricultural landowners in recruiting and retaining the farmworkers needed in the agricultural industry.

Testimony from the government agencies noted that additional resources may be necessary for the monitoring and enforcement of the requirements in this measure. Your Committee notes that on-farm and near-farm housing are not intended to be used as vacation rental units.

Your Committee has amended the measure by:

(1) Adding a definition for "immediate family members";

(2) Clarifying the maximum area permitted to be used for farm dwellings and employee housing units;

(3) Clarifying that the five-year farm plans are subject to review by the Department of Agriculture;

(4) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style, including the insertion of the most recently codified version of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2632, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2632, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Agriculture.

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

____________________________

TOM BROWER, Chair