STAND. COM. REP. NO. 990

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1064

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1064, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to prevent the loss of large-scale agricultural parcels and ensure that future use of land in the state agricultural district is for bona fide agricultural operations in any county where one-third or less of the county's land is classified in the state agricultural district.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii and two individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc. and Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Office of Planning.

 

     Your Committee finds that creation of a condominium property regime is an alternative to the subdivision of a parcel of land.  When applied to land in the state agricultural land use district, the creation of a condominium property regime can result in a larger contiguous area available for farming than under a subdivision.

 

     Your Committee further finds that this measure is intended to curtail the fragmentation of intact agricultural lands and stem the encroachment of low-density, higher-valued residential uses on land in the state agricultural district.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure clarifying that the prohibition proposed by this measure applies to parcels of land classified in the state agricultural land use district.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1064, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1064, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

 

 

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair