STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1085-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 2235

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2235, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to encourage the growth of agricultural and aquacultural enterprises by increasing, from $25,000 to $50,000, the amount of agricultural and aquacultural loans that may be approved by the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture (Chairperson).

The Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Aquaculture Association, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Meadow Gold Dairies, and C&H Farms supported this bill. The Hawaii Agriculture Research Center and Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee believes that additional support should be provided to support our small farms and has amended this measure by increasing the amount of agricultural and aquacultural loans that may be approved by the Chairperson to $75,000. Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for style, clarity, and consistency.

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. 2235, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2235, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair