STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1233

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1562

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1562, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate or authorize funds for programs of the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Hawai‘i Farm Bureau.

Your Committee finds that this measure expresses programs or positions, maximum sums appropriated or authorized, or means of financing indicated for programs of the Department of Agriculture to be incorporated into the General Appropriations Act of 2019, or other appropriate legislative vehicle, or to be adopted separately.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting the Department of Agriculture's operating budget requests, position counts, and appropriation amounts as per the Department's written testimony;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2019; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

Your Committee requests that if your Committee on Ways and Means passes this measure that it consider incorporating the items in this measure into the appropriate legislative vehicle or amend this measure to include any provisions necessary to effectuate its purpose and intent.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1562, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1562, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair