STAND. COM. REP. NO. 861

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1483

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1483, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE MOLOKAI IRRIGATION SYSTEM,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Department of Agriculture to provide water at reduced rates to Molokai Irrigation System users who are lessees of Hawaiian Home Lands;

 

     (2)  Forgive outstanding loans from Hawaiian Home Lands lessees on Molokai for the provision of water from the Molokai Irrigation System; and

 

     (3)  Appropriate an unspecified amount to the Department of Agriculture to cover the operational costs of the Molokai Irrigation System.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and two individuals.

 

     Your Committees find that the Molokai Irrigation System was constructed in 1957 to provide water to native Hawaiian homestead farmers in central Molokai.  Over time, the rise in the cost of delivering water to native Hawaiian homestead farmers became an economic hardship.  This measure will give Hawaiian homestead farmers adequate access to the Molokai Irrigation System.

 

     As this measure moves forward, your Committees urge the Department of Agriculture to determine and report to your Committee on Ways and Means the total amount of the loans that will be forgiven pursuant to this measure and the fiscal impact on the State.  In addition, it is the intent of your Committees that the Department of Agriculture develop a plan to ensure that the reduced rate provided for in this measure is developed and implemented in a way that is pragmatic and sustainable.  Lastly, your Committees encourage the Department of Agriculture and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to explore the possibility of providing technical assistance to native Hawaiian homestead farmers to ensure that going forward these farmers have the tools and skills needed to ensure payment for use of the Molokai Irrigation System. 

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1483, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1483, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs,

 

____________________________

BRICKWOOD GALUTERIA, Chair

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair