Bill Text: HI HB1804 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Agriculture.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-26 - Referred to AGR, FIN, referral sheet 2 [HB1804 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-HB1804-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1804 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to agriculture.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Chapter 141, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§141- Healthy
soils grant program; special fund; established. (a) The department of agriculture shall establish a
healthy soils grant program, which shall:
(1) Define the terms
"healthy soils" and "healthy soils practices";
(2) Create a
statewide soil health assessment with a list of practices specific to the State
that are most effective in improving soil health and building soil carbon
stocks;
(3) Provide farmers
with education and technical assistance to implement farm management practices
that contribute to healthy soils;
(4) Establish
standards that shall apply to the healthy soils grant program, based on the
findings of reports completed by the greenhouse gas sequestration task force
established pursuant to section 225P-4 for minimum levels of soil carbon and
water content and required soil health practices; and
(5) Subject to
available funding, award grants and other financial incentives to implement farm
management practices that contribute to healthy soils.
(b) The long-term goals of the healthy soil grant program
shall be to establish:
(1) Standards that
would apply to all grants awarded by the department of agriculture to encourage
healthy soils by ;
(2) Deadlines for
all grants awarded by the department of agriculture to meet the standards in section
(a)(4);
(3) Deadlines for
all state lands leased for agricultural use to require a plan pursuant to the health
soils grant program; and
(4) Programs incentivizing
small farmers, ranchers, and landowners to take carbon positive actions on their
lands.
(c) There is established a healthy soils grant
program special fund to be placed in the department of agriculture for
administrative purposes into which shall be deposited any appropriations by the
legislature. The fund shall be used to implement
and operate the healthy soils grant program and award grants.
(d) The department of agriculture shall submit a report detailing the status and progress of the healthy soils grant program, including any proposed legislature or recommendations, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session."
SECTION 2. There
is appropriated out of the general fund the sum of $
or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to be
deposited into the healthy soils grant program special fund.
SECTION 3. There
is appropriated out of the healthy soils grant program special fund the sum of
$ or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for the establishment of the health
soils grant program and to award grants pursuant to the program.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by
the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Department of Agriculture; Healthy Soils; Healthy Soils Program; Carbon Sequestration
Description:
Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a Healthy Soils Program.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
