STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2530

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2413

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2413 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Board of Agriculture to submit a report to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025 on the:

(1) Percentage of agricultural lands that are suitable for farming and agricultural lands that are actively farmed; and

(2) Certain dollar amounts relating to lease transfers between lessees of agricultural lands.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, Hawaii Food+ Policy, Purple Maiʻa Foundation, and one individual.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that the State is the largest landowner in Hawaii and has the responsibility for ensuring that public land is used prudently for the benefit of its residents. According to testimony received by your Committee, accurate data on public agricultural lands, especially those leased, will help optimize public and private investments in agriculture to meet the State's local food production and agricultural sustainability goals. The report required under this measure seeks to identify public, productive agricultural lands, while protecting their use under the state and county land use regulatory systems.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the requirement for the report to include the dollar amount of infrastructure improvements by the original lessee made on agricultural land transferred to another lessee; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2413, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2413, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair