STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2600

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2974

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. 2974 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PESTICIDES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to update the membership of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides to replace representatives of the sugar and pineapple industries with representatives of the coffee and diversified agriculture industries.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, University of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association, and Hawaii Coffee Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau.

Your Committee finds that sugar and pineapple plantations were once the foundation of Hawaii's agricultural economy. However, since the 1970s, the number of sugar and pineapple plantations in the State has plummeted. In place of sugar and pineapple plantations, Hawaii now relies on coffee and diversified agriculture. This measure updates the membership of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides to better represent the State's current agricultural industry. Additionally, there remains a need to include members on the Advisory Committee on Pesticides who possess greater knowledge and expertise on the health effects of pesticide use.

Your Committee has amended this measure by adding a representative of Hawaii Farmers Union United to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.

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. 2974, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2974, 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,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair