STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2556

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2745
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B.
No. 2745 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AQUACULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide further support for
the aquaculture program.

     Specifically, this bill:

     (1)  Allows the Department of Agriculture to establish and
          assess fees for aquatic animal and plant health
          diagnostic services and other expert services related
          to aquaculture;

     (2)  Establishes the aquaculture development special fund to
          be used for aquatic disease management programs,
          including state match of federal funds, and for
          research and development; and

     (3)  Appropriates $30,000 out of the fund for fiscal year
          2000-2001 for the purposes of the fund.

     Your Committee finds that aquaculture is maturing as an
alternate economic industry for Hawaii.  This means that greater
reliance will be placed on scientific analysis of diseases or

 
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other problems that develop in the industry.  Research and
development will be of ever-increasing importance as Hawaii
competes with other world sources of aquaculture products.
Therefore, the creation of the aquaculture development special
fund will be invaluable to help promote and improve the State's
aquaculture industry.  By allowing the Department of Agriculture
to assess fees for diagnostic services related to aquaculture,
the fund can be increased over time, with less reliance on
legislative appropriations.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the
appropriation to a blank amount for discussion purposes and made
technical, nonsubstantive amendments in accordance with proper
drafting style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
2745, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third
Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2745, S.D. 1.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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