STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3192

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2284

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2284, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AQUACULTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish provisions relating to the Department of Agriculture's jurisdiction over the business of aquaculture;

(2) Grant exclusive property rights to persons who lawfully obtain the cultured progeny of wild plants and animals by brood stock acquisition;

(3) Authorize the Department of Agriculture to regulate the transportation, purchase, possession, and sale of specific aquaculture products as may be necessary to protect indigenous species;

(4) Require the Department of Agriculture to prepare programmatic environmental impact reports and acquire land for aquacultural purposes; and

(5) Make an appropriation.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hatch Aquaculture Fund Management LLC, and one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committees find that supporting local aquacultural productions can help the State move towards greater food sustainability and expand a home-based workforce. Your Committees further find that seafood demand outpaces supply and world fishery resources are quickly depleting. This measure will provide a pro-development framework that minimizes negative effects on the environment through monitoring and reporting using a science-based approach.

Your Committees note that questions arose about why the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture would administer the business of aquaculture processing, distribution, and marketing. Your Committees also note that there were additional questions and discussion regarding brood stock acquisition and intellectual property rights.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 30, 2075, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2284, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2284, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair