STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1482

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 668

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 668, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expand the scope of the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund (Fund) to include land-, aquaculture-, freshwater-, or sea-based food production and to rename the Fund as the Land-, Aquaculture-, Freshwater-, or Sea-based Food Development and Food Security Special Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau and United Fishing Agency, Ltd. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that expanding the scope of the Fund to include land-, aquaculture-, freshwater-, or sea-based food production is an effective way to support the growth of these activities in Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that the inspection, quarantine, and eradication of invasive species contained in air cargo arriving into the State should be a high‑priority responsibility of the Department of Agriculture.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a new part that:

(A) Requires the State to regulate all agricultural imports and inspections;

(B) Establishes the Air Cargo Pest Inspection, Quarantine, and Eradication Fund, to be expended by the Department of Agriculture solely for the inspection, quarantine, and eradication of invasive species contained in any air cargo arriving into the State; and

(C) Requires the Auditor to conduct a sunrise analysis on the Air Cargo Pest Inspection, Quarantine, and Eradication Fund and submit a report of the Auditor's findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2022;

(2) Specifying that with respect to the use of Fund monies for the purchase of equipment necessary for land-, aquaculture-, freshwater-, or sea-based food production or processing activities, boat sizes must be forty feet or less; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 668, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 668, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair