STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1976

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 865

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 865, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish a permanent extension agent position within the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience's Kona Cooperative Extension to support the coffee and orchard crops extension and applied research program and the Kona Research Station in the County of Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Mahilani Partners LLC, dba Hilo Coffee Co.; Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers; Kaʻū Coffee Growers Cooperative; Greenwell Farms Inc.; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Rusty's Hawaiian; Hawaii Coffee Growers Association; Kealia Ranch LLC; Hawaii Coffee Association; Kauai Coffee Company LLC; Nutrien Ag Solutions; Honolulu Coffee Farms; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union; Waimea Coffee Farm LLC; Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council; Kona Coffee Council; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the number of positions established to an unspecified number.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 865, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 865, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair