STAND. COM. REP. NO.  525

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

 

RE:   H.B. No. 483

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 483 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to help reduce the cost of feed for Hawaii's livestock and aquaculture industries by appropriating funds to reimburse:

 

     (1)  Qualified producers of milk, pork, eggs, poultry, beef, sheep, lamb, goats, and seafood, for the cost of feed for beef cattle, dairy cows or milking goats, goats raised for meat, sheep, hogs, fish, crustaceans, and poultry; and

 

     (2)  Qualified feed developers for the costs of development of feed for sale to qualified producers.

 

     The Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Maui County Farm Bureau, Ponoholo Ranch Limited, and Ulupono Initiative supported this measure.  Animal Rights Hawaii opposed the measure.


     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 31, 2150, to encourage further discussion; and

 

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     Should your Committee on Finance choose to deliberate further on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider allowing some of the appropriated funds to be used for feed research.

 

     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 H.B. No. 483, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 483, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair