STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2678

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2894

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 S.B. No. 2894, 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 decrease the State's dependence on imported food.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the Agribusiness Development Corporation and the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, to conduct crop performance testing trials of certain food crops on state agricultural land;

(2) Requires the Department to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2020; and

(3) Appropriates moneys to the Department to perform the testing trials.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; the Agribusiness Development Corporation; the University of Hawaii System; Ulupono Initiative; the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; OCC Legislative Priorities Committee, Democratic Party of Hawaii; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that increasing food production in the State would mean less food would need to be imported into the State and would help to achieve self-sufficiency and sustainability as well as create jobs. An important first step in increasing the amount of food produced in the State is to identify the types of food crops that are suitable to be grown in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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 S.B. No. 2894, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2894, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair