STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3375

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1514

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1514, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to assist the local coffee industry in mitigating the effects of the coffee berry borer.

 

Specifically, the measure appropriates funds for:

 

(1)  Education and mitigation activities to combat the coffee berry borer; and

 

(2)  A pesticide subsidy program to assist coffee growers with offsetting the cost of purchasing pesticides containing Beauveria bassiana.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, the Edmund C. Olson Trust II, the Hawaii Farmers Union United, the Hawaii Coffee Association, Hale Kai Lana Inc., the Hawaii Coffee Growers Association, the Kona Coffee Council, the Royal Kona Coffee Visitor Center Mill and Museum, Greenwell Farms Inc., the Kauai Coffee Company, and four individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that invasive species are a primary threat to Hawaii's agriculture and economy.  The coffee berry borer poses a significant problem for coffee farmers in Hawaii, and the additional funds will help the Department of Agriculture in its efforts to contain the infestation.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Authorizing the pesticide use revolving fund to receive and expend appropriations for the pesticide subsidy program;

 

(2)  Redirecting the deposit of the general fund appropriation to the pesticide use revolving fund and to appropriate funds from the revolving fund for the pesticide subsidy program; and

 

(3)  Protecting the revolving fund expenditures for the pesticide subsidy program from a 2015 repeal and reenactment that affects the revolving fund.

 

     Your Committee has deposited the infusion of general funds into the pesticide use revolving fund to protect the infused funds from lapsing on June 30, 2015.  Your Committee feels that, since the pesticide subsidy pilot project is for a five-year period, the infused funds should be available for the entire pilot project period.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1514, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1514, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair