STAND. COM. REP. NO.  325

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 285

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 285 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEASUREMENT STANDARDS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to provide a dedicated source of funding for the Department of Agriculture's (DOA) Measurement Standards Branch by establishing the Weights and Measurements Special Fund (Special Fund).  In addition, this bill, among other things, requires DOA to adopt new rules or amend existing rules to impose or increase fees authorized to be charged under the Measurement Standards Program to generate sufficient revenues to pay for the operation and maintenance costs of the Program.

 

     Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation supported this bill.  DOA supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance to further review the merits of this measure, including the financial impacts of the provisions relating to the Special Fund and the rule change requirements.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     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. 285, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 285, 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