STAND. COM. REP. NO. 199

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1008

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 1008 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII FOOD RESILIENCY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish a formal statewide Food Resiliency Initiative that is recognized and supported by the Legislature and will achieve measurable goals of food self-sufficiency in a reasonable timeframe;

     (2)  Establish a task force to set forth the specific benchmarks for the Food Resiliency Initiative and a timeline to achieve those benchmarks; and

     (3)  Provide adequate resources to support the Food Resiliency Initiative.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farmers Union United, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and University of Hawaii System.

 

     Your Committee finds that as the most geographically isolated state in the country, Hawaii is dangerously dependent on imported food.  Increasing local production will ensure that Hawaii has food sources that will be more stable when faced with global supply disruptions, increasing global demand and shortages of commodities, and potential global food scarcities while providing jobs and economic growth.  Your Committee further finds that the Office of Planning, in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, issued a report in October 2012 entitled "Increased Food Security and Food Self-Sufficiency Strategy:  A State Strategic/Functional Plan Prepared in Accordance with HRS Chapter 226 Hawaii State Plan and the Hawaii Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy."  S.B. No. 584 was introduced during the Regular Session of 2013 to implement the recommendations of the October 2012 report, but was not enacted.  Rather than duplicate efforts, your Committee finds that in lieu of the Food Resiliency Initiative and task force, the State would be best served by establishing the agricultural development and food resiliency program and providing resources to implement the existing increased food security and food self-sufficiency strategy.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting contents that duplicate previous efforts and inserting language from S.B. No. 524, S.D. 1, H.D. 1 (Regular Session of 2013), which:

          (A)  Establishes the agricultural development and food resiliency program; and

 

          (B)  Appropriates funds to implement the increased food security and food self-sufficiency strategy; and

 

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1008, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1008, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 


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

 

 

 

____________________________

RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair