STAND. COM. REP. NO.  383

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 240

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 240 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING A GRANT-IN-AID APPROPRIATION TO THE COUNTIES TO FINANCE DROUGHT MITIGATION PROJECTS AND MEASURES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to support drought mitigation efforts by appropriating $4,000,000 for a grant-in-aid (GIA) to the counties for agricultural drought mitigation measures and projects. 

 

     Two members of the Maui County Council, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Kona County Farm Bureau, and Maui County Farm Bureau supported this bill.  The Department of Agriculture supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the GIA may be used for drought mitigation planning;

 

     (2)  Requiring each county to coordinate its drought mitigation activities with DLNR as a condition for expending funds appropriated in this measure; and

 

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

 

     Your Committee notes that drought mitigation measures may entail a lengthy and thorough planning and implementation process.  Funds appropriated in this bill may lapse before they can be expended for their intended purposes.  Your Committee respectfully requests future legislative consideration for the insertion of a provision to extend the lapse date of funds appropriated in this bill to June 30, 2011.

 

     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 H.B. No. 240, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 240, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair