STAND. COM. REP. NO. 367

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1099

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 1099 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Land Use Commission to designate 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 testimony in support of this measure from one individual.

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

Your Committee finds it is essential to protect and promote agricultural viability in the State. Your Committee further finds that each county is responsible for the identification of potential important agricultural lands within its jurisdiction. Your Committee also finds that the counties should prioritize the identification of important agricultural lands to support agriculture in the State. Accordingly, this measure establishes a deadline for the counties to identify and submit to the Land Use Commission their respective maps of potential important agricultural lands and authorizes the Land Use Commission to directly designate land and adopts maps for counties that fail to meet the deadline.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1099 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair