STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1932-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2480

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2480, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WAHIAWA IRRIGATION SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness Development Corporation, and Department of Land and Natural Resources to acquire the Wahiawa irrigation system, on terms negotiated and agreed upon by the Office of the Governor, and the associated spillway; and

(2) Appropriate:

(A) $21,000,000 for the Department of Agriculture to repair and expand the spillway associated with the Wahiawa irrigation system and bring the spillway into compliance with relevant dam safety requirements;

(B) $5,000,000 for the Department of Agriculture to acquire a fee simple interest in the spillway associated with the Wahiawa irrigation system;

(C) $800,000 for the Agribusiness Development Corporation to manage and maintain its acquired portion of the Wahiawa irrigation system; and

(D) $1,500,000 for the Department of Land and Natural Resources to manage and maintain its acquired portion of the Wahiawa irrigation system, including the creation of four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) positions for this purpose.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau and Ulupono Initiative. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Agribusiness Development Corporation, and Dole Food Company Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation amounts to blank amounts.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2480, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2480, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair