STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1311-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2362

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 2362, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ORNAMENTAL GINGER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the University of Hawaii for statewide research into ornamental ginger pathogens, prevention of the spread of ornamental ginger pathogens, production and distribution of pathogen-free ornamental ginger plants, and outreach to ornamental producers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System; Department of Agriculture; Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Floriculture and Nursery Association; East Oahu County Farm Bureau; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; and five individuals.

Your Committee finds that the commercial production of ornamental ginger in the State has been declining, as emerging plant diseases are negatively impacting the production and economic viability of ornamental ginger. Your Committee further finds that researchers and extension agents at the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources have performed a statewide survey and causal agent identification study, which determined that a combination of six viruses is the cause of the ornamental ginger's decline, with other pathogens and ornamental ginger genetic variation as possible contributing factors. This measure further supports the University of Hawaii's statewide research and efforts to produce virus-free plants and develop cultural management strategies for managing virus-infected plants.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment 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 $125,000.

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 S.B. No. 2362, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2362, S.D. 1, 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,

____________________________

CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair