STAND. COM. REP. NO.  902

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 243

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 243, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IRRIGATION SYSTEMS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to help ensure a reliable source of water for farming operations in the state by authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds, with proceeds to be deposited into the Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Special Fund and used to fund repair and maintenance of specific irrigation systems in each county of the state, and for the Agricultural Water Use Development Plan and agricultural resource management.

 

     A member of the Maui County Council, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc., Maui County Farm Bureau, and a concerned individual supported this bill.  The Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness Development Corporation, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and Ka‘u Farm Bureau submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 243, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 243, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

		____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair