STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1935-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2846

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2846, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IRRIGATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Provide interim authorization for the transfer of operational authority over portions of the East Kauai irrigation system operated and maintained by the East Kauai Water Users' Cooperative as of July 1, 2018, to the Department of Agriculture (DOA) until the DOA adopts rules and makes a determination that the irrigation system can be appropriately operated and maintained by the Board of Agriculture, as statutorily required to make the transfer permanent;

(2) Establish and appropriate funds for full-time positions within DOA's Agricultural Resources Management Division (Division) for the East Kauai irrigation system;

(3) Allow DOA to contract with the East Kauai Water Users' Cooperative to bill and collect fees from irrigation system users and enter into contracts to operate and maintain the irrigation system while the transfer is pending completion;

(4) Authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds to assist the Division with plans, designs, land acquisition, and equipment to increase state irrigation system capacity statewide; and

(5) Appropriate funds for the operations and maintenance of the East Kauai irrigation system.

The Mayor of the County of Kauai, East Kauai Water Users' Cooperative, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Saiva Siddhanta Church, Kalepa Koalition, The Greene Island Farm, Smith's Motor Boat Service, Inc., Kalepa Ulu, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc., supported this measure. DOA provided comments on this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2846, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair