CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 53

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

RE:    H.B. No. 850

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 850, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to address the budgetary shortfalls experienced by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources' (CTAHR) Cooperative Extension Service by appropriating funds for critical specified unfunded positions for specified counties.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the provisions specifying the extension agent positions and the distribution of the agents to specific counties;

(2)  Appropriating $350,000 for four positions for the Cooperative Extension Service Program deemed critical by CTAHR in accomplishing the purpose of the Program, with one position for each county;

(3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2015; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 850, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 850, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair	____________________________ CLIFT TSUJI, Co-Chair
____________________________ RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Co-Chair	____________________________ ISAAC W. CHOY, Co-Chair
____________________________ GIL RIVIERE, Co-Chair	____________________________ RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Co-Chair