STAND. COM. REP. NO. 553-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2146

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2146, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL TOURISM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Make state agricultural tourism requirements applicable to all counties, instead of only counties that have adopted an agricultural tourism ordinance; and

(2) Require the Land Use Commission to adopt rules that establish requirements applicable to all farming operations that undertake agricultural tourism.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau.

Your Committee finds that the statewide applicability of agricultural tourism requirements contemplated by this measure would create greater uniformity across the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the term "agricultural tourism" and using only the term "agricultural tourism activities";

(2) Retaining the existing statutory requirement that agricultural tourism activities are allowed only in counties that have adopted ordinances regulating agricultural tourism under section 205-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and deleting all proposed amendments to section 205-5(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(3) 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 Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2146, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2146, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair