STAND. COM. REP. NO. 256-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2784

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Economic Development and Business Concerns, to which was referred H.B. No. 2784 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE ENTERPRISE ZONES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to amend the eligibility requirements of the Enterprise Zone Program (EZP) to allow more agricultural businesses the opportunity to participate.

Hawaii Agriculture Research Center testified in support of this measure. The Board of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Maui County Farm Bureau, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, testified in support of this measure with amendments.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Extending the seven-year eligibility period by the number of months of the duration of a force majeure event to allow agricultural businesses to recover;

(2) Making revenue growth criteria an option for agricultural businesses that cannot meet the employment growth goals; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Economic Development and Business Concerns that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2784, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2784, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Economic Development and Business Concerns,

 

____________________________

BRIAN SCHATZ, Chair

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FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair