STAND. COM. REP. NO.148

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 561

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 561 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the continued operation and maintenance of an irrigation system for East Kauai.

Testament in support of this measure was submitted by the County of Kauai's Office of Economic Development, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, and Saiva Siddhanta Church. The Hawaii Farm Bureau, Kauai County Farm Bureau, and East Kauai Water Users' Cooperative submitted testimony in support of this measure, with a suggested amendment. Testimony in support of the intent of the measure was submitted by the Agribusiness Development Corporation.

Your Committee finds that the East Kauai Irrigation System is a historical remnant of Kauai's sugar history and a working state-owned asset servicing the Wailua area and state-owned agricultural lands of Kalepa. A cooperative of twenty-six farmers have self-assessed approximately $60,000 to pool with state funds to operate and maintain this extensive system.

Your Committee also finds that the suggested amendment of making the Agribusiness Development Corporation the expending agency, instead of the Department of Agriculture, would be agreeable to all parties. The Agribusiness Development Corporation has been the expending agency for the first part of this project and should continue to be the funding source.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended the measure to effectuate the suggested amendment.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 561, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 561, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair