STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1448

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 86

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred S.B. No. 86, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD SUSTAINABILITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, to update the state agricultural functional plan to include other agricultural economic updates that expand the State's priority on increasing local food self-sufficiency and exports.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Hawai‘i Fishermen's Alliance for Conservation and Tradition, Inc.; Hawai‘i Farmers Union United; and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the State's agricultural functional plan was last updated in 1991. Since then, Hawaii's agricultural industry has transitioned from plantation agriculture to a more diversified agriculture sector, including flowers and nursery products, vegetables, fruits, macadamia nuts, cattle, milk, poultry, eggs, forest products, hogs, coffee, taro, ulu, cacao, other livestock, and aquaculture. Your Committee further finds that updating the state agricultural functional plan would provide guidance for further agricultural development in Hawaii that takes into consideration how the industry has changed over the past thirty-two years.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 86, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 86, 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