STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1076

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1450

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1450, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL CLIMATE RESILIENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a three-year Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Pilot Program (Pilot Program) to provide grants to agricultural producers in the State for the acquisition of special-purpose equipment, technology, and ancillary costs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Office of the Mayor of the County of Maui; Department of Research and Development of the County of Hawaiʻi; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Climate Protectors Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy; 350Hawaii.org; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; Hawaii Food Industry Association; and four individuals.

Your Committee finds that, to address the anticipated impacts of climate change, many local farmers and ranchers are seeking to adopt new technologies and invest in special-purpose equipment to enhance productivity, sustain their operations, and maintain economic viability. Your Committee recognizes that the costs to implement innovative climate-smart practices and infrastructure improvements can be significant, especially for small- and mid-sized farms. This measure will help empower farmers and ranchers to invest in tools and infrastructure that can directly improve their ability to respond to climate-related challenges, thereby mitigating threats to crop yields and farm viability and ensuring the stability of the State's local food production. According to oral testimony from the Department of Agriculture during the public hearing on this measure, the grants to be awarded through the Pilot Program would replace some of the recently rescinded federal grant funding that supports the implementation of climate‑smart practices.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

Your Committee notes that this measure contains an unspecified appropriation amount. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting an appropriation amount of $3,000,000 to establish and administer the three-year Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Pilot Program.

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 H.B. No. 1450, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1450, H.D. 2, 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,

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair