STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2355

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 2492

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2492 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY RIGHTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to add to the crime of criminal property damage to agricultural and aquacultural equipment and supplies.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture; the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; the City and County of Honolulu's Department of the Prosecuting Attorney; Alexander and Baldwin, Inc.; the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center; the Hawaii Aquaculture Association; the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association; the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; the Maui Farm Bureau; and twenty individuals.

Given the pervasive and significant problems with agricultural vandalism and theft in our State, your Committee finds that increasing the penalties for criminal property damage offenses is consistent with the great impact that these crimes have on Hawaii's agricultural industry and the ability of individual farmers and ranchers to earn a living. This measure strengthens the penalties for criminal property damage by recognizing the actual loss of agricultural and aquacultural property suffered by farmers and ranchers as a result of the criminal actions, and imposes the appropriate penalties.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendment for clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2492, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2492, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair