STAND. COM. REP. NO. 546

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 309

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 Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.B. No. 309 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IRRIGATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds to make capital improvements to the State's irrigation systems.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Ulupono Initiative, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that a reliable irrigation system is the lifeline of Hawaii's agricultural industry. To ensure that Hawaii's crops receive a steady and dependable supply of water, sufficient funding is needed to maintain and improve irrigation systems.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests that your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider a general bond authorization amount of $55,700,000 for various irrigation systems.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 309, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 309, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

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CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair