STAND. COM. REP. NO. 858-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 2271

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2271, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NON-AGRICULTURAL PARK LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to clarify the authority of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) regarding agricultural public lands (that are not agricultural park lands) that were transferred to DOA by the Department of Land and Natural Resources by authorizing DOA, subject to certain restrictions, to:

(1) Directly dispose of public lands for agricultural or aquacultural purposes;

(2) Plan, develop, and manage certain non-agricultural park lands; and

(3) Negotiate leases for agricultural purposes,

without the prior approval of the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Further, this bill:

(1) Requires the Board of Agriculture to establish eligibility requirements for each disposition; and

 

(2) Sets forth the rights and responsibilities of an institutional lender that holds a security interest in leased non-agricultural park lands under the jurisdiction of DOA.

The Department of Agriculture (DOA) and the Hawaii Farm Bureau testified in support of this measure.

While your Committee wishes to show its support of DOA with the passage of this Administration measure, your Committee would also like to note that transfer of agricultural leases, mandated by Act 90, Session Laws of Hawaii 2003, has been a slow and tedious process. Your Committee also understands that much work needs to be done to carry out the process of transferring agricultural leases from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to DOA, but urges DOA to move expeditiously so it may effectively manage those leases as provided for in this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2271, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

____________________________

DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair