STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2033-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.C.R. No. 145

S.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 145, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, TO CONVENE AN AGRICULTURE LABOR TASK FORCE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the significant labor shortage in the coffee industry, especially the shortage of harvest labor that exacerbates the coffee berry borer situation, by requesting the Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to convene an Agriculture Labor Task Force to:

(1) Research ways to address the immediate workforce shortage and improve the availability of affordable housing for laborers, in alignment with the goals of the K-12 Agriculture Workforce Development Pipeline Initiative; and

(2) Submit a report to the Legislature on its findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020.

The University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and Hawai‘i Farm Bureau supported this measure. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations opposed this measure. The Department of Agriculture commented on this measure.

Your Committees respectfully request that your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure further, consider the concerns of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations relating to funding, staffing, and other resources to convene a task force, as expressed in its testimony on this measure and take any action it deems appropriate.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 145, S.D. 1, and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair

____________________________ RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair