STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1014

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1221

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1221, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to preserve Hawaii's dairy and poultry farms by mitigating the high cost of livestock feed.  This bill creates the Dairy and Poultry Farm Revitalization and Food Security Program that reimburses qualified producers for a specified percentage of feed costs.  This bill also appropriates funds for this purpose.

 

     The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Island Diary, Inc., and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Pork Industry Association, Ulehawa Farm, Inc., and a concerned individual supported this measure with amendments.  The Hawaii Egg Producers Association supported the intent of this bill.  Animal Rights Hawaii opposed this measure.  Pacific Diary offered comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Expanding the program to include hog producers with a herd size of no fewer than 50 sows;

 

     (2)  Allowing hog producers to be reimbursed up to 50 percent of the feed costs;

 

     (3)  Broadening the title of the program to the "Livestock Revitalization Program";

 

     (4)  Adding a definition of "poultry";

 

     (5)  Deleting the specific appropriation amounts;

 

     (6)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage continued discussion; and

 

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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. 1221, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1221, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair