STAND. COM. REP. NO. 682

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 831

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, Water and Land, and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 831 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the counties to give full consideration to urban agriculture principles and policies in land use zoning.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and two individuals.

Your Committees find that communities around the country are looking to promote healthier eating by encouraging urban agriculture. "Urban agriculture" is an umbrella term encompassing a wide range of activities involving the raising, cultivating, processing, marketing, and distributing of food in urban areas. In many communities, urban agriculture takes the form of backyard gardens and community gardens.

Your Committees further find that allowing the counties to adopt an integrated approach to land use planning that incorporates urban agriculture principles and policies furthers the State's goals of sustainability and self-sufficiency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, Water and Land, and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 831 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, Water and Land, and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair	________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair
	________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair