STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1088

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 692

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 692, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to support a diversified agricultural industry in Hawaii by extending the lapse date from June 30, 2007, to June 30, 2010, for special purpose revenue bonds authorized under Act 131, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, to assist Aloun Farms in building an agricultural processing plant.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, the Hawaii Agricultural Research Center, and Aloun Farms.

 

     Aloun Farms is a family farm operation that consists of over a thousand acres of farmland in central Oahu, which was once used for sugar production.  Your Committee finds that Aloun Farms is laying the foundation of diversifying Hawaii's agricultural industry by using the special purpose revenue bonds to build an agricultural processing facility and, upon completion of the facility, establish an educational farm tour program.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date of this measure from June 29, 2007, to June 29, 2050, to promote further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 692, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 692, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair