STAND. COM. REP. NO. 438-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2337

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.B. No. 2337 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PESTICIDES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the membership of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides by replacing the statutory requirement for representatives of the pineapple and sugar industries with representatives of the coffee and diversified agriculture industries.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Department of Agriculture; University of Hawaiʻi System; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that at the time of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides' establishment, the sugar and pineapple industries were major stakeholders in the State's agricultural landscape, which covered more than three hundred thousand acres. However, in 2017, those two crops accounted for less than five thousand acres. In comparison, the diversified agriculture and coffee industries have accounted for more than $84,000,000 and $43,000,000, respectively, in the State. This measure therefore updates the composition of the Advisory Committee to more accurately reflect the current landscape of the agriculture industry in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

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. 2337, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2337, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair