STAND. COM. REP. NO. 68

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 1102

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1102 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a P-20 (preschool through post-secondary) agriculture education coordinator position to oversee ongoing communication and collaboration of the P-20 Agriculture Education Working Group and lead the implementation plan for an outlined coordinated framework of support for P-20 agriculture education in Hawaii.

The Department of Agriculture, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, K & R Enterprises, A‘a Li‘i Farms, Trilogy Excursions, Mala‘ai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School, Ka Ohana O Na Pua, Local Food Coalition, Maui Farmers Union United, Maui School Garden Network, Hawai‘i Farm to School Hui, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Coffee Association, Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council, Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation, and several individuals supported this measure. An individual provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation which establishes and funds the P-20 agriculture education coordinator position to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee on Lower & Higher Education respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $150,000 for fiscal years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 for the establishment and funding for the P-20 agriculture education coordinator position.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1102, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1102, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Agriculture.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair