STAND. COM. REP. NO.  276

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 482

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 482 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the Department of Agriculture's program to control the destructive coffee berry borer by establishing and funding a pesticide subsidy program manager position in the Department to manage and facilitate the Pesticide Subsidy Program.

The Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Hawaii Farmers Union United, Three Roads Farm, Counter Culture Food + Ferments, Hawaii Coffee Association, and numerous concerned individuals supported this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation for the position of pesticide subsidy program manager, since the Department of Agriculture testified that sufficient funds are available for the position; and

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

     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. 482, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 482, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair