STAND. COM. REP. NO.  121

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1344

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1344 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to expand the use of agricultural land leases on Hawaiian home lands by:

 

     (1)  Removing the acreage restrictions on leases of Hawaiian home lands for agricultural purposes; and

 

     (2)  Specifying that the agricultural land leases shall be subject to the availability of suitable tracts of land and may be for either for-profit or non-profit purposes.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Molokai Farm Bureau and four individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA) as originally enacted by Congress authorized the Hawaiian Homes Commission to lease not less than twenty nor more than eighty acres of agricultural lands.  The HHCA currently authorizes the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to lease no more than forty acres of agricultural lands.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that the availability of agricultural land leases for agricultural purposes shall depend on the priority of availability of suitable tracts of land to native Hawaiians.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1344, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1344, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair