SB2703 SD1

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2703
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 141, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§141- Grant program; beginning farmer and rancher start-up costs. (a) There is established in the department of agriculture a grant program to assist beginning farmers and ranchers in meeting the operating costs, including start-up and organization costs, of starting a commercial farm or ranch.

(b) The program shall provide grants to qualified applicants under the following terms and conditions:

(1) No grant shall be awarded unless the applicant has a fifty per cent match of funds, at minimum, to start the commercial farm or ranch;

(2) The total amount of a grant awarded to any one applicant shall not exceed $15,000;

(3) The applicant shall be a beginning farmer or beginning rancher;

(4) The applicant shall have received all applicable business and tax licenses and permits;

(5) The applicant shall comply with all applicable federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law;

(6) The grant shall not be used for the purposes of entertainment; and

(7) The qualified applicant and grant application shall comply with other requirements as the department may prescribe including, but not limited to:

(A) Providing to the department tax returns, business licenses, financial records, tax clearances or compliance certificates, and all other requested records relating to the grant; and

(B) Allowing state agencies to monitor the applicant's compliance with any and all grant conditions.

(c) The department may adopt interim rules, exempt from chapter 91 and chapter 201M, to effectuate the purposes of the program; provided that any interim rules shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2022, or until rules are adopted pursuant to chapter 91, whichever occurs sooner.

(d) An administrative staff member of the department shall review and approve all grant applications.

(e) As used in this section:

"Beginning farmer" means a farm enterprise or person who has not previously farmed commercially or has been farming commercially for less than two years preceding the application by the enterprise or person.

"Beginning rancher" means a ranch enterprise or person who has not previously ranched commercially or has been ranching commercially for less than two years preceding the application by the enterprise or person."

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the development and administration of the beginning farmer and rancher grant program under this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. Any provision of this Act to the contrary notwithstanding, the appropriations authorized under this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made. Any unexpended and unencumbered balance of the appropriation made in this Act as of the close of business on June 30, 2022, shall lapse.

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.