STAND. COM. REP. NO. 867-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2424
                                     H.D. 2




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No.
2424, H.D. 1, entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to:

     (1)  Establish standards, criteria, and a process for the
          identification of important agricultural lands to the
          State; and 

     (2)  Provide a one-time expedited process by which lands of
          low agricultural resource value of those already
          subdivided and developed for nonagricultural uses may
          be reclassified by the Land Use Commission to the rural
          district.

     The Board of Agriculture, National Resources Conservation
Service, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Kona Farmers
Alliance, the Office of Planning of the Department of Business,
Economic Development and Tourism, Land Use Commission, and
several individuals supported this bill.  The Department of
Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu
supported this bill in principle.  Plumbers and Fitters Union
Local 675 expressed concerned about this bill.  Hawaii's Thousand
Friends commented on this bill.  Hawaii Resort Developers
Conference, Contractors Association of Kauai, the Chamber of
Commerce of Hawaii, Castle and Cooke Land Company, Land Use

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 867-00
                                 Page 2

 
Research Foundation of Hawaii, the Pacific Resource Partnership,
Grove Farm Company, Inc., Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference,
Maui Land and Pineapple Company, Inc., Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.,
the Estate of James Campbell, Building Industry Association of
Hawaii, and an individual opposed this bill. 

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this
bill by deleting its contents and inserting new material.  This
bill now establishes the State of Hawaii Land Evaluation and Site
Assessment Commission (Commission), administratively placed
within the Legislative Reference Bureau, and comprised of fifteen
voting members from the private and public sectors.  The
Commission shall:

     (1)  Analyze the current state of the agricultural industry
          in Hawaii; 

     (2)  Inventory agricultural lands;

     (3)  Identify and analyze land use issues; and

     (4)  Submit a report to the legislature regarding the
          findings of their activities.

     The Commission will cease to exist on June 30, 2001.  There
is also appropriated an unspecified sum for the operations of the
Commission.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
2424, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2424, H.D.
2.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Finance,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair