STAND. COM. REP. NO. 378

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 820

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Economic Development & Business Concerns, to which was referred H.B. No. 820 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to support a statewide network of agricultural processing, marketing, and shipping facilities by establishing a terminal market pilot program on the island of Hawaii. Specifically, this bill:

(1) Appropriates $200,000 to plan a pilot program for a linked terminal market to serve food producers, distributors, retailers, military buyers, and retail outlets on the island of Hawaii ;

(2) Appropriates $50,000 to hire a consultant to assist in planning terminal markets;

(3) Requires the consultant to work with the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to form a committee, reflecting interests affected by this bill, to recommend policies, rules, and procedures to be followed by any operator chosen by DOA to operate the terminal markets; and

(4) Authorizes the issuance of $3,000,000 in general obligation bonds for construction and equipment costs of a terminal market and vacuum cooling plant for the island of Hawaii.

The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii supported this bill. DOA supported the intent of this measure.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Economic Development & Business Concerns that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 820 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Economic Development & Business Concerns,

 

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair

____________________________

FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair