STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2051

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2126

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2126 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PESTICIDE USE REVOLVING FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase the pesticide use revolving fund balance threshold amount in order to allow the Department of Agriculture to have funds available to carry out its mandate in section 149A-13.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Department of Agriculture; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action; Civic Education Council; Hawaii Floriculture & Nursery Association; Hawai‘i Center for Food Safety; Holistic Learning Center of Maui, LLC; Beyond Organic Consulting, Inc.; Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii; We Are One, Inc.; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; GMO Free Kaua‘i; and fifty-nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that increasing the cap of the pesticide use revolving fund from $250,000 to $1,000,000 will increase the ability of the Department of Agriculture to conduct training and outreach, which are critical to ensuring pesticides are not misused and thereby endangering the health of people and the environment. Your Committee also finds that there has been an increase in demand for the Department of Agriculture to assist in the disposal of pesticides and pesticide containers. This measure will better enable the Department of Agriculture to conduct and coordinate disposal services.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2126 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair