STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2585

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3181

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. 3181 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a local agriculture transportation cost reimbursement incentive program to be administered by the Department of Agriculture to reimburse eligible producers for a portion of the producer's costs to transport agricultural commodities; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

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

Your Committee finds that agricultural production is an essential economic activity on many of Hawaii's islands. However, the distribution of Hawaii's agricultural production across several islands creates high transportation costs for the State's agricultural producers. This measure establishes a local agriculture transportation cost reimbursement incentive program to provide financial support to agricultural producers in the State for the transportation of their products.

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. 3181 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair