STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1213

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 1503

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1503, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a two-year Agricultural Theft and Vandalism Pilot Project to examine the effectiveness of prosecuting agricultural theft and agricultural vandalism cases in the County of Hawaii; and

(2) Appropriate $200,000 for each year of Fiscal Biennium 2019-2021 to establish and implement the Pilot Project, including the hiring of two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) enforcement officers.

The Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i County Council Member representing District 9; Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Ulupono Initiative; Hawai‘i Forest Industry Association; O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; and an individual testified in support of this measure. The Department of Agriculture; Maui County Farm Bureau; Hawaii Coffee Association; We Are One, Inc.; and an individual provided comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making the appropriations and number of FTE positions unspecified amounts; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

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 H.B. No. 1503, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1503, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair