STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2641

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2077

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2077 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE MAUI FOOD INNOVATION CENTER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for renovation and equipment for the Maui Food Innovation Center, to be located in the former campus cafeteria at the University of Hawaii Maui College.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation, High Technology Development Corporation, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and Maui County Farm Bureau.

     Your Committee finds that establishing the Maui Food Innovation Center would improve the economic stability and capacity of many different food providers in the local community, including farmers, ranchers, and fishermen; agricultural cooperatives; food entrepreneurs; small and midsized food companies; retail and food service establishments; Native Hawaiian cultural agriculture; and community food programs, by providing access to research and development, food business planning, quality assurance and food safety, product and process development, and other services not presently available.

     Your Committee also finds that the Maui Food Innovation Center will help to further develop the Maui Culinary Academy program at the University of Hawaii Maui College.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriation from $2,700,000 to an unspecified sum; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2077, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2077, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair