CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 93-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2014

RE:    H.B. No. 1931

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

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. 1931, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

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 protect Hawaii's macadamia nut industry by preventing the spread of macadamia felted coccid infestations.

     Specifically, the measure appropriates funds for:

     (1)  The Department of Agriculture; and

     (2)  The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa,

to research and develop methods for the prevention and treatment of macadamia felted coccid infestations.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the macadamia felted coccid can cause severe damage to macadamia nut trees and that conventional pest control methods have failed to stop the spread of this destructive insect.  Accordingly, your Committee on Conference believes that there is a need to appropriate funds to research and develop new pest control methods to prevent macadamia felted coccid from spreading throughout the State and causing costly damage to macadamia nut trees and the macadamia nut industry.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting the amount of $360,000 for the appropriation to the Department of Agriculture;

     (2)  Deleting the appropriation for the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources;

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2014; and

     (4)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of 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. 1931, 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. 1931, 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

____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair	____________________________ JESSICA WOOLEY, Co-Chair
____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair	____________________________ ISAAC W. CHOY, Co-Chair
____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Co-Chair	____________________________ RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Co-Chair
____________________________ RONALD D. KOUCHI, Co-Chair