STAND. COM. REP. NO.  793-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2178

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2178, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to reduce the dependence on imported feed and ultimately reduce costs to local livestock producers by establishing a grant program in the Department of Agriculture to reimburse qualified feed developers for their incurred feed development costs.

The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, and Ulupono Initiative testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Agriculture and Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii commented on this measure.  

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Making the appropriations in unspecified amounts;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2178, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2178, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair