STAND. COM. REP. NO. 100

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 520

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 520 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the farmer succession pilot program within the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Maui County Farm Bureau; Ulupono Initiative; Hawai‘i Farmers Union United; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Hawai'i Foodbank; Food Plus Policy Internship; Adaptations, Inc.; Aloha Harvest; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that there are many multigenerational commercial farming and ranching operations that are facing the prospect of closure due to a shortage of young farmer successors in the State. This measure will provide support for the up‑and‑coming generation of new farmers who are interested in developing and broadening their skills and knowledge of the trade.

Your Committee acknowledges the testimony from the Department of Agriculture and agrees with their recommendation that the farmer succession pilot program would be better placed within the University of Hawaii Community College System.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Establishing the farmer succession pilot program within the University of Hawaii Community College System, rather than within the Department of Agriculture; 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. 520, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 520, 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