STAND. COM. REP. NO. 679

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1182

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.B. No. 1182 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Agriculture for the preparation of an environmental impact statement to drill non-potable water wells on individual parcels at Panaewa Agricultural Park.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's farms need affordable and reliable water for irrigation to sustain themselves and that this measure contributes to that effort.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Department of Agriculture is responsible for preparing the environmental impact statement and that the lessees would perform the drilling of non-potable water wells on the individual parcels; and

(2) Changing its effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1182, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1182, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

____________________________

CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair