STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1237

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 123

H.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 123, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NON-GENERAL FUNDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to abolish the Hawaii Department of Agriculture biocontrol foreign exploration special fund pursuant to the recommendation by the Auditor in Auditor's Report No. 18-15, and transfer the unencumbered balances to the general fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Department of Agriculture biocontrol foreign exploration special fund was administratively established in 2010 for the Department of Land and Natural Resources to transfer monies to the Department of Agriculture at the direction of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to support foreign exploration and research of biocontrol agents. The remaining funds in the biocontrol foreign exploration special fund were returned to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and, as of January 2019, the fund balance is zero dollars.

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 H.B. No. 123, H.D. 2, 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