CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 855

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 855, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COFFEE PEST CONTROL,"

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:

(1) Extend the sunset dates for the Pesticide Subsidy Program and Pesticide Subsidy Program Manager position for an additional two years;

(2) Provide that the $600 per year subsidy limit for each single coffee grower applies to coffee berry borer control, with a separate $600 annual limit per grower for coffee leaf rust control;

(3) Provide that no single coffee grower can receive subsidies totaling more than an unspecified amount per year after June 30, 2021, and before July 1, 2023; and

(4) Expand the list of pesticides that the Department of Agriculture is required to establish to include those effective against coffee leaf rust.

Your Committee on Conference finds that the coffee berry borer, an invasive beetle, has been found on Hawaii island, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Lanai. In 2020, coffee leaf rust was discovered for the first time in the State on the islands of Maui and Hawaii. Your Committee on Conference further finds that this pest and fungus threaten the viability of the State's entire coffee industry, which represents one of the largest agricultural crops in the State and is an important part of Hawaii's economy. The two-year extension of the Pesticide Subsidy Program and Pesticide Subsidy Program Manager position under this measure will allow the State to continue to subsidize the cost of pesticides best shown to combat the coffee berry borer and coffee leaf rust, thus incentivizing coffee growers to adopt recommended pest management strategies.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying $12,000 as the total annual amount for which a single coffee grower can receive subsidies after June 30, 2021, and before July 1, 2023;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2021; and

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and 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 S.B. No. 855, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 855, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ MARK J. HASHEM Co-Chair	____________________________ MIKE GABBARD Chair
____________________________ AMY A. PERRUSO Co-Chair	____________________________ DRU KANUHA Co-Chair