STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3758

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1705

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1705, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Agriculture to extend the agricultural park lease of any lessee holding a lease that has a remaining term of fifteen years or less; provided that the leased land is twenty-five acres or less and located in a county having a population of less than five hundred thousand.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and five individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that authorizing the Department of Agriculture to permit lessees of certain agricultural park lands to extend their leases will facilitate those lessees' ability to contribute to food production in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to upon its approval; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1705, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1705, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair