STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1508

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 303

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 303 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GARDENS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support school and community garden initiatives by authorizing the Department of Education (DOE) and the Hawaii Community Development Authority to develop programs that provide incentives to establish gardens on school campuses and within communities.

The University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and a few concerned individuals supported this measure. DOE, Department of Health, Hawai‘i Farm to School Hui, Ka Ohana O Na Pua, and a concerned individual commented on this measure.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that DOE may develop programs that encourage, rather than provide incentives for, the development of gardens on school property;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2150, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Lower & Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 303, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 303, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Lower & Higher Education,

____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair

____________________________ RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair