STAND. COM. REP. NO. 594

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 305

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture & Food Systems and Economic Development, to which was referred H.B. No. 305 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update the Hawaii State Planning Act's economic agricultural objectives and policies and priority guidelines to remove references to the sugar and pineapple industries.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Hawai‘i Farmers Union United, and one individual.

Your Committees find that when the Hawaii State Planning Act was first enacted in 1978, sugar and pineapple were the

dominant agricultural crops and a significant part of the State's economy. The predominance of these industries was reflected in the Hawaii State Planning Act's economic objectives and policies for agriculture and in the economic priority guidelines. Sugar and pineapple production in the State has declined significantly since then, but the Hawaii State Planning Act has not yet accounted for these changes. This measure deletes references to the viability of the sugar and pineapple industries to better recognize the value of diversified agriculture across Hawaii.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

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

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture & Food Systems and Economic Development that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 305, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 305, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture & Food Systems and Economic Development,

____________________________ DANIEL HOLT, Chair

____________________________ CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair