STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2068
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 2085
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Twenty-Ninth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2018
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2085 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a grant program to be administered by the Agribusiness Development Corporation to provide grants for agriculture-related improvements to existing and emerging farms and agribusiness operations.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Land Use Research Foundation; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; and O‘ahu County Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i.
Your
Committee finds that the ability of the Agribusiness Development Corporation to
issue grants will provide a means to assist local farming operations, make
investments to strengthen and diversify Hawaii's agriculture, attract and
retain businesses, and streamline the Corporation's operations. Your Committee further finds that a grant
program may help foster partnerships to facilitate agribusiness projects and
help grow Hawaii's agriculture industry.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Deleting language that placed an annual cap of $100,000 on grants received by a qualified person or entity; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2085, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2085, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,
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________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair |
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