STAND. COM. REP. NO. 440

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 940

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 and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 940 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to grant county agencies the implicit right to enter property to investigate agricultural buildings and structures for violations of, and compliance with, building permit and code exemption qualifications.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Office of Planning, Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i, and two individuals.

Your Committees find that certain qualified agricultural structures are exempt from building permit and building code requirements. Your Committees further find that exempted agricultural buildings and structures are sometimes illegally transformed for residential purposes. This measure will allow county agencies to exercise their enforcement powers and help to prevent the misuse of agricultural buildings and structures.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 940 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair