STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2512

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2060

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 Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2060 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish an Educational Support Associate position within the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources' Kona Cooperative Extension; and

(2) Make an appropriation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System, Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy, Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council, Maui Coffee Association, and seven individuals.

Your Committee finds that the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) of the University of Hawaii at Manoa provides valuable support to the State's agriculture industry. Through the extension program, extension agents from CTAHR provide non-formal science-based education; serve as an outreach component between the agriculture community and the University of Hawaii; and extend practical applications of science to support local food systems, healthy living, youth development, and land stewardship. Your Committee further finds that despite its critical work, the Kona Research Station's sole extension agent is currently supported by only one educational support associate position, which has historically been one hundred percent grant funded. Due to various grant provisions, the educational support associate is limited to work only within the scope of funded projects and is unable to address the needs and challenges of the other industries in the cooperative extension program. Therefore, this measure addresses chronic staffing shortages at the Kona Research Station to ensure continuity of research and extension activities that support the various industries thriving in Hawaii County.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2060, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2060, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair