STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2886

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2969

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. 2969, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AN AGRICULTURAL EMERGENCY SPECIAL FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide relief to farmers and ranchers in the State.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes an agricultural emergency special fund; and

(2) Appropriates moneys into and out of the agricultural emergency special fund.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Ulupono Initiative, Food+ Policy, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and three individuals.

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

Your Committee finds that climate change and economic difficulties impose additional hardships on struggling farm and ranch operations throughout the State. Your Committee further finds that the Department of Agriculture's emergency loan program has made thirty-one emergency loans, totaling $2,300,000, over the last three years.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that moneys from the repayment of loans funded by the agricultural emergency special fund shall be paid back into the special fund;

(2) Changing the amount of general fund moneys being deposited into the agricultural emergency special fund from $2,500,000 to an unspecified sum;

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

(4) Making a technical nonsubstantive amendment for purposes of clarity 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. 2969, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2969, 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