STAND. COM. REP. 309

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 718

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 718 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE HAWAII DROUGHT PLAN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate $200,000 to fund Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Hawaii Drought Plan, including:

(1) The assessment of sector-based socioeconomic and environmental impacts due to drought; and

(2) The identification of drought risk reduction and mitigation measures.

The Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Pineapple Growers Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and Maui County Farm Bureau supported this bill. The Department of Agriculture supported the intent of this bill. The Department of Land and Natural Resources opposed this measure.

Your Committees find that droughts could have a devastating economic impact on our state's agricultural community. The Hawaii Drought Plan will identify ways to mitigate the effects of future droughts and provide a coordinated response mechanism for these emergencies.

Upon further review, your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Deleting the appropriation amount from the bill to further discussion; and

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

Your Committees further request that the Committee on Finance provide some funding to supplement monies already received from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 718, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 718, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair

____________________________

EZRA R. KANOHO, Chair