STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1425

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 491

S.D. 2

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 Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 491, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds and establish position ceilings for the operating budget of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) and provide for the following program IDs:

(1) AGR122/EB Add permanent Invasive Species Specialists to support the Hawaii Interagency Biosecurity Plan;

(2) AGR132/DC Add one permanent Livestock Inspector position;

(3) AGR192/AA Add Program Specialist to manage the Farm to State Program; and

(4) AGR846/EE Add temporary Environmental Health Specialist positions to support the Pesticide Branch and meet the requirements of Act 45, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018.

The Hawai‘i Farm Bureau and a few concerned individuals supported this measure. DOA and Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing all appropriation sums to unspecified amounts;

(2) Amending the program appropriations to include the following with unspecified appropriation amounts for the fiscal biennium 2019-2021:

(A) AGR101/GA Supplement Agricultural Loan Revolving

Fund to expand local agricultural production;

(B) AGR132/DC Add Livestock Inspector position and increase Animal Caretaker positions, with 2.50 permanent full-time equivalent positions for each year of fiscal biennium 2019-2021;

(C) AGR151/BB Increase funding for food safety certification grants to farmers and ranchers;

(D) AGR171/BA Add economic development position to manage grants and contracts, with 1.0 permanent full-time equivalent position for each year of fiscal biennium 2019-2021;

(E) AGR192/AA Increase funding for repairs and maintenance department-wide;

(F) AGR846/EE Add Environmental Health Specialist positions to support the Pesticides Branch and meet the requirements of Act 45, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, with 2.0 permanent full-time equivalent positions for each year of fiscal biennium 2019-2021;

(G) AGR132/ Add a Microbiologist position for animal disease control, with 1.0 permanent full-time equivalent position for each year of fiscal biennium 2019-2021;

(H) AGR141/ Add funds for litigation for agricultural resource management;

(I) AGR171/ Add funds for agricultural surveys for agricultural development and marketing; and

(J) AGR171/ Add funds for maintenance of a contract database system for agricultural development and marketing; and

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

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

Your Committee respectfully requests that DOA review and evaluate the salary ranges for its staffing positions to ensure that the salary ranges attract qualified candidates and retain qualified employees, such as a microbiologist.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 491, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 491, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair