STAND. COM. REP. NO. 436-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2062

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 Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2062 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the Agricultural Emergency Loan Revolving Fund, to be administered by the Department of Agriculture, to fund class D emergency loans.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Ulupono Initiative, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the Emergency Loan Program serves as a safety net to farms and ranches during times of emergency. According to testimony provided by the Department of Agriculture, due to tight funding supply, the Emergency Loan Program has not been able to reserve any funds specifically for emergency loans. The Agricultural Emergency Loan Revolving Fund proposed in this measure would serve as a dedicated source of funding for agricultural emergencies including natural disasters, production and pest blights, and economic disasters.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriations to unspecified amounts;

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

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

Your Committee respectfully requests that should your Committee on Finance choose to hear this measure, it consider appropriating $2,500,000 for deposit into and appropriation out of the Agricultural Emergency Loan Revolving Fund.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2062, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2062, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair