STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3086

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2664

S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 2664, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF TARO,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve protections for taro lands and production.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes a fourth class of land for lands having cultural, social, economic, and food self-sufficiency value if preserved for wetland taro cultivation;

(2) Authorizes the Land Use Commission to create an inventory of taro lands and to submit that inventory to the Board of Land and Natural Resources for approval; and

(3) Appropriates moneys for the purpose of creating the inventory.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; ‘Ai Pohaku; Kipahulu Ohana, Inc.; Green Party Hawaii; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Hawaii Farm Bureau; and twelve individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the additional protections afforded to taro lands and production by this measure will help to improve food security and agricultural diversity in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments 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 S.B. No. 2664, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2664, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair