STAND. COM. REP. NO. 142

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 144

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 144 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING A GRANT-IN-AID APPROPRIATION TO THE COUNTIES TO FINANCE DROUGHT MITIGATION PROJECTS AND MEASURES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide grant-in-aid funding to each county for agricultural drought mitigation plans, measures, and projects.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from one state department and three private entities.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was received from one state department.

 

Your Committees find that a viable agriculture industry requires a steady, reliable supply of water.  However, drought conditions continue to adversely affect local farms and ranches, hampering their ability to produce quality products on a consistent basis throughout the year.  To address the harmful impact of droughts, mitigation measures in the Hawaii Drought Plan must be implemented.  The goal of the Hawaii Drought Plan is to develop coordinated emergency response mechanisms and to outline steps toward mitigating the effects of future droughts.  Your Committees further find that to adequately implement the Hawaii Drought Plan, sufficient funding for the counties is necessary to address the many challenges that our agriculture industry faces in preparing for droughts.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Water, Land, and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 144 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Water, Land, and Housing,

 

____________________________

DONOVAN DELA CRUZ, Chair

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair