STAND. COM. REP. NO.  521

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1409

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1409 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BIOFUELS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to enhance Hawaii's energy security by providing funds to the Agribusiness Development Corporation as investment capital for research and development partnerships with entities and enterprises for zero waste biofuel production.  Specifically, this measure allocates for every 15 cents of the environmental response, energy, and food security tax that is deposited into the energy security special fund and the agricultural development and food security special fund, respectively, 1.5 cents of each deposit to the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

 

     A few individuals provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Agriculture, the Agribusiness Development Corporation, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii provided comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committees note that zero waste biofuel production may already be in receipt of additional funds if H.B. No. 857, Regular Session of 2013, is enacted as it appropriates an additional $500,000 to the Department of Agriculture to address this issue.

 

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Allocating unspecified amounts to the Agribusiness Development Corporation from the deposits of the environmental response, energy, and food security tax into the two special funds; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1409, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1409, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Agriculture,

 

 

____________________________

JESSICA WOOLEY, Chair

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair