STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2027

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1099

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1099, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Land Use Commission to designate any county or state lands as Important Agricultural Lands, and adopt maps for the designated lands, in counties that fail to identify and recommend important agricultural lands by December 31, 2027.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Land Use Commission; and Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau.

Your Committee finds that the designation of Important Agricultural Lands helps ensure the conservation, protection, and long-term agricultural viability of certain lands. Your Committee further finds that this designation process relies on the counties' identification and recommendation of lands. This measure ensures that the Land Use Commission can designate county and state lands as Important Agricultural Lands if the counties fail to identify and recommend such lands.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1099, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair