HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1053

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that coffee is one of the largest agricultural crops in the State and is a highly valued commodity in Hawaii's economy.  In recent years, the coffee berry borer, a small beetle, has infested coffee crops in the Kona and Kau regions, and this infestation threatens the viability of Hawaii's entire coffee industry.  Act 105, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, established the pesticide subsidy within the department of agriculture to assist coffee growers with the costs of eradicating the coffee berry borer on their coffee crops.  The legislature further finds that continued efforts to control the coffee berry borer are critical, and the State must continue to take action to support these efforts.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate moneys for the pesticide subsidy program to continue to assist coffee growers with offsetting the cost of purchasing pesticides containing Beauveria bassiana, a naturally occurring fungus known to cause mortality in coffee berry borers.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for deposit into the pesticide use revolving fund established under section 149A-13.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the pesticide use revolving fund the sum of $1,500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the department of agriculture to develop, operate, and implement the pesticide subsidy program established by Act 105, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Coffee Berry Borer; Pesticide Subsidy Program; Appropriations

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for the pesticide subsidy program to eradicate the coffee berry borer.

 

 

 

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