STAND. COM. REP. NO.2025

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2131

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2131 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE MOLOKAI IRRIGATION SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for fiscal year 2002-2003 to make various improvements to the Molokai Irrigation System.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and the Molokai Farm Bureau. Comments were submitted by the University of Hawaii Environmental Center.

Your Committee finds that Molokai's agriculture industry has been struggling due to drought conditions on the island. The Molokai Irrigation System, which is the primary source of irrigation water, is in a state of severe disrepair. Improvements are required to eliminate waste, to improve efficiency of the system, and to stabilize and expand Molokai's agriculture industry.

In the General Appropriations Act of 2001, the Legislature appropriated funds for plans for the identification of new sources for the Molokai Irrigation System and improvements to address long-term needs and expansion. Since the appropriation, specific necessary improvements to the Molokai Irrigation System have been identified without expending the appropriated funds. Your Committee finds that those funds should be expended for these already identified needed improvements.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its contents with provisions that amend the General Appropriations Act of 2001 to reappropriate $200,000 for the following Molokai Irrigation System improvements:

(1) New telemetry system;

(2) New maters at reservoir (2);

(3) Replacement of isolation valves (4);

(4) Purchase of a BobCat; and

(5) Purchase of 4x4 vehicles (2).

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2131, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2131, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

JAN YAGI BUEN, Chair