STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2614

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1030

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1030 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PESTICIDES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to remove the requirement that representatives of the pineapple and sugar industries be included on the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and instead include representatives of the coffee and diversified agriculture industries.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau.

Your Committee finds that, in 1980, Hawaii was home to fourteen sugar plantations and four pineapple plantations, which covered more than three hundred thousand acres. In 2017, however, sugar and pineapple plantations accounted for fewer than five thousand acres. The dramatic decline in sugar and pineapple production in the State highlights the need to update the membership of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. This measure replaces representatives from the sugar and pineapple industries with representatives of the coffee and diversified agricultural industries, thereby ensuring the continued relevance of the Advisory Committee. Your Committee further finds, however, that this measure does not fully revise the membership of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. Future action may be needed to ensure that the public interest in health and safety, as well as environmental protection, is represented on the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1030 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair