CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 489

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 489, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to increase the maximum area for each agricultural shade cloth structure, cold farm, and greenhouses that could qualify the structure for an exemption from building permit and building code requirements.

Your Committee on Conference finds that low-risk agricultural structures, such as agricultural shade cloth structures, cold frames, and greenhouses, are provided limited exemption from county building permit and building code requirements if under a specified maximum area. Increasing the maximum area allowed from twenty thousand to sixty thousand square feet will increase the number of agricultural structures available to support local food production. Your Committee on Conference further finds that this measure will drastically cut construction costs and effectively utilize the open areas currently required between smaller greenhouses and assist farmers to increase their operations for bigger and more cost-effective protective structures to shelter crops from pest infestation, extreme temperatures, excessive rains, long droughts, and feral animals. This measure seeks to make farming more productive and economically feasible for farmers and help Hawaii reach its self-sustaining food production goals.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this version by changing the effective date to January 1, 2022.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 489, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 489, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ MARK J. HASHEM Co-Chair	____________________________ MIKE GABBARD Chair
____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON Co-Chair	____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA Co-Chair
	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Co-Chair