STAND. COM. REP. NO.  760

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 482

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 482, 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 facilitate the Department of Agriculture's program to control the destructive coffee berry borer by establishing and funding a temporary Pesticide Subsidy Program Manager position in the Department to manage and facilitate the Pesticide Subsidy Program.

The Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Hawaii Coffee Association, and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council supported this measure.  The Department of Agriculture commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the requirement that the pesticide subsidy program manager possess a requisite level of knowledge and expertise in pesticides;

     (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. 482, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 482, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair