Report Title:

Agricultural Theft; Appropriation for Task Force

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to establish an interagency task force to abate agricultural theft. (SD2)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2271

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

S.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

making an appropriation to abate agricultural theft.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that losses incurred by agriculturists statewide due to agricultural theft amount to millions annually. The theft of agricultural commodities increases each year at an alarming rate, leading to huge losses for farmers. With these losses, the sustainability of many agricultural ventures is in jeopardy. This Act will assist in abating agricultural theft by bringing together the stakeholders to develop and implement solutions.

The legislature also finds that in 2001, the senate agriculture committee conducted statewide hearings on the issue of agricultural theft and as one of its findings, determined that a coordinated effort among all affected parties would be needed in order to deter agriculturally-related thefts. The senate committee also found that in California, an interagency task force was established, consisting of representatives from the state and county law enforcement agencies, and the farming community, to develop and implement nonstatutory solutions such as educational seminars and other means by which to deter the loss of agricultural commodities and equipment. The legislature believes that the formation of such a task force would provide an ongoing forum in which strategies to deter agriculture theft may be disseminated throughout the State.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to abate agricultural theft.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $        , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003, for the purpose of establishing an agricultural theft abatement task force.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. The task force shall include members chosen by the chairperson of the department of agriculture from the various county prosecutors' offices and police departments, the state department of agriculture, the attorney general's office, the agricultural community, and other representatives as the department of agriculture deems appropriate. The chairperson of agriculture or the chairperson's designee shall serve as chair of the task force.

The task force shall develop policies and programs for the department of agriculture to implement to abate agriculturally-related thefts throughout the State.

The task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2003 regular session and then dissolve.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2002.