STAND. COM. REP. NO. 4-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1668

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1668 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOIL CLASSIFICATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to conduct a study of the suitability of the Land Study Bureau soil overall (master) productivity rating system and other soil classification systems in the regulation of agricultural lands in the State and make recommendations for the use of soil classification systems for agricultural land use regulation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, University of Hawai‘i System, Hawaii State Energy Office, and Office of Planning and Sustainable Development. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the last statewide soil mapping, classification, and characterization study was completed fifty years ago when plantation sugar cane and pineapple production dominated Hawaii agriculture. To help optimize public and private investments in agriculture and meet Hawaii's food and agricultural sustainability goals, accurate soil data is needed.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1668, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1668, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Agriculture.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair