STAND. COM. REP. NO. 132

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1268

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 1268 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AQUACULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program to contract with an independent consultant for the development of a statewide strategic five-year plan for aquaculture; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program; Hawaii Aquaculture & Aquaponics Association; Kulahaven Farms LLC; EcoponicX, Inc.; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that in 2021, Hawaii Sea Grant established and has been facilitating a Hawaii Aquaculture Collaborative, an industry-led partnership whose aim is to facilitate collaborations between aquaculture industry leaders and aquaculture-relevant state, public, and nonprofit agencies to strengthen and grow aquaculture in the State. Your Committee further finds that the growth of aquaculture in the State can help to increase the State's economic resilience and food security.

Development of a five-year statewide strategic plan for the industry is one of the Hawaii Aquaculture Collaborative's stated priorities. However, your Committee believes that additional time is required to prepare a quality strategic plan and therefore the proposed deadline should be extended by one year.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a finding that this measure addresses an issue of statewide concern;

(2) Deleting the reference to the Department of Agriculture's Aquaculture Development Program Strategic Plan 2023-2033 from the analysis required by the statewide strategic five-year plan;

(3) Changing the deadline for submission of the statewide strategic five-year plan to twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2025;

(4) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $75,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1268, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1268, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education & Technology,

____________________________

AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair