STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2783

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2282

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2282 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Board of Agriculture to establish within the Department of Agriculture an agricultural theft enforcement program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Agribusiness Development Corporation; Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i; one member of the Hawai‘i County Council; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu; Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; Dole Food Co. Hawaii; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Maui County Farm Bureau; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Ulupono Initiative; Larry Jefts Farms, LLC; and six individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Agriculture, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that agricultural theft and vandalism are impediments to running a successful and profitable farming operation and are harmful to consumers and residents. Agricultural theft and vandalism are a serious, ongoing problem, with farmers and residents reporting theft of crops, animals, equipment, and tools, and vandalized fences and gates. Your Committee further finds that an agricultural theft enforcement program will lead to greater enforcement and determent of other crimes committed on state agricultural lands, thereby increasing public safety.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the name of the program, officers, and special fund by deleting the term "theft" after the word "agricultural" and before the word "enforcement", throughout the measure where appropriate, given that the program may enforce other matters as determined by the Board of Agriculture; and

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

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 S.B. No. 2282, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2282, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair