STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2530
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 2413
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2413 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The
purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Board of Agriculture to
submit a report to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular
Session of 2025 on the:
(1) Percentage of agricultural lands that are suitable for farming and agricultural lands that are actively farmed; and
(2) Certain
dollar amounts relating to lease transfers between lessees of agricultural
lands.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, Hawaii Food+ Policy, Purple Maiʻa Foundation, and one individual.
Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Agriculture.
Your Committee finds that the State is the largest landowner in Hawaii and has the responsibility for ensuring that public land is used prudently for the benefit of its residents. According to testimony received by your Committee, accurate data on public agricultural lands, especially those leased, will help optimize public and private investments in agriculture to meet the State's local food production and agricultural sustainability goals. The report required under this measure seeks to identify public, productive agricultural lands, while protecting their use under the state and county land use regulatory systems.
Your Committee has
amended this measure by:
(1) Deleting
the requirement for the report to include the dollar amount of infrastructure
improvements by the original lessee made on agricultural land transferred to
another lessee; and
(2) Making
technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and
consistency.
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. 2413, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2413, S.D. 1, 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 |
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