STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2657

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2203

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water and Land and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.B. No. 2203 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND USE COMMISSION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to apply permissible uses within agricultural districts to counties having specific population levels.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Mayor of the County of Hawaiʻi and County of Hawaiʻi Planning Department.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Department of Agriculture, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committees find that agricultural tourism presents an opportunity for farmers and ranchers to diversify their income stream beyond the sale of food and non-food agricultural products. With carefully thought-out ordinances and regulations in place, agricultural operations with accessory and secondary agricultural tourism may be able to sustain their operations and contribute to local food self-sufficiency and have little, if any, adverse effect on the agricultural operations, land values, and access to agricultural resources in the surrounding area. This measure bolsters the agricultural tourism industry and provides another possible income stream to farmers.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have limited this measure to counties with a population of 500,000 or more; and

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

Your Committees note that there needs to be more enforcement taken by the counties regarding unregulated agricultural tourism activities and agricultural tourism enforcement is borne by the counties.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2203, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2203, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

________________________________ LYNN DECOITE, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair