STAND. COM. REP. NO. 356-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2682

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2682 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the agricultural technology transfer and workforce development program and provide for a coordinator position to provide support for secondary agricultural education and Future Farmers of America programs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Education, Hawaii Pacific Health, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and eighteen individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that the growing increase in Future Farmers of America membership may signal a trend toward interest in agricultural careers. Your Committee further finds that state funding to develop an agricultural technology transfer and workforce development program and coordinator position is an investment in agricultural career development and a means of addressing the declining agricultural workforce.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount and the full-time equivalent position to an unspecified number;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Should your Committee on Finance decide to hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $200,000 for the agricultural technology transfer and workforce development program, to be allocated as follows:

(1) $90,000 for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) agricultural technology transfer and workforce development coordinator position;

(2) $30,000 for Future Farmers of America training;

(3) $30,000 for Future Farmers of America agricultural work-study internships; and

(4) $50,000 for Future Farmers of America leadership training.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2682, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2682, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair