STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3293

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1705

H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Water and Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1705, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL PARK LEASES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow the Department of Agriculture to extend the agricultural park lease of any lessee who holds a lease with a remaining term of fifteen years or less, provided that the land covered by the lease is twenty-five acres or less and located in a county with a population of less than five hundred thousand.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Panaewa Foliage, and one individual. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committees find that the Department of Agriculture maintains agricultural parks to provide leases for eligible farmers in the State. The agricultural parks and those who farm them are essential to the State's goal of increasing local food production and food security. Despite producing valuable food crops, some leases of agricultural park lands are set to expire. This measure allows lessees of certain agricultural park lands to renew their leases and continue their contributions to the State's food production.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1705, H.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Water and Land,

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair