STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2625

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2944

S.D. 1

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. 2944 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit the use of important agricultural lands and lands with class A productivity ratings for waste disposal.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Ulupono Initiative, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Crop Improvement Association.

Your Committee finds that agriculture is an essential economic activity in Hawaii. To support agriculture, the State has established land use designations that protect certain lands for agricultural use. However, lands designated for agriculture can also be used for specific other activities. This measure prohibits the use of agricultural lands for waste disposal to ensure that agricultural lands are used to support agricultural production.

Your Committee has amended this measure by including lands with class B productivity ratings among lands on which waste disposal sites are prohibited.

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. 2944, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2944, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair