Bill Text: HI SB2060 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii Senate Bill 2060

HI State Legislature page for SB2060

Bill Title: Relating To Agriculture.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-16 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. [SB2060 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-SB2060-Amended.html

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2060
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that establishing a permanent educational support associate position placed within the university of Hawaiʻi college of tropical agriculture and human resources (CTAHR) is needed to successfully implement the following goals of the college's cooperative extension program:

(1) Providing non-formal science-based education;

(2) Acting as the outreach component of CTAHR; and

(3) Extending practical applications of science to support local food systems, healthy living, youth development, and the stewardship of natural resources for future generations.

The legislature further finds that CTAHR's Kona cooperative extension, which houses the Kona research station, provides crucial support for local coffee farmers statewide, who currently face dire threats to their crops from the recently discovered coffee berry borer and from coffee leaf rust. With a farm-gate value of approximately $48.4 million, and an unroasted value of $101.5 million, the coffee industry represents the State's third-highest valued agricultural commodity. Despite this, the coffee industry is currently served statewide by just one CTAHR extension agent.

The legislature further finds that CTAHR's sole extension agent is currently supported by just one educational support associate position, which has historically been one hundred per cent grant funded. Due to varying grant provisions, the position is limited to work only within the scope of funded projects and is unable to address the needs and challenges of other industries supported by CTAHR's cooperative extension program. Additionally, upwards of thirty to forty-seven per cent of current grant funding is dedicated to salary and fringe benefits for project support staff, which reduces funding for educational events, applied research, travel for statewide outreach, equipment, and materials and supplies that could directly benefit local farmers and producers.

The legislature further finds that establishing a permanent educational support associate position will provide much needed support to extension faculty; enable the prioritization of research and community outreach projects throughout the State; and support the Kona research station, which encompasses eighteen acres of projects related to coffee, including coffee leaf rust and coffee berry borer mitigation, as well as macadamia, avocado, temperate fruit and nut germplasm, two-lined spittlebug, tree pruning, grafting and propagation, organic and conventional pesticides, and nematode management.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish and fund one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) educational support associate position, within the university of Hawaiʻi college of tropical agriculture and human resources' coffee and orchard crops cooperative extension and applied research program, to provide administrative, professional, and technical support to the college's cooperative extension program, Kona research station, and the State's highly valued agricultural industries that are challenged with economically damaging pest, disease, and production issues.

SECTION 2. In accordance with section 9 of article VII of the Hawaii State Constitution and sections 37-91 and 37-93, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the legislature has determined that the appropriations contained in Act 164, Regular Session of 2023, and this Act will cause the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024-2025 to be exceeded by $ or per cent. This current declaration takes into account general fund appropriations authorized for fiscal year 2024-2025 in Act 164, Regular Session of 2023, and this Act only. The reasons for exceeding the general fund expenditure ceiling are that:

(1) The appropriation made in this Act is necessary to serve the public interest; and

(2) The appropriation made in this Act meets the needs addressed by this Act.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $76,570 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent educational support associate position within the university of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources' Kona cooperative extension to support the coffee and orchard crops extension and applied research program and the Kona research station in the county of Hawaiʻi.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the university of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2024.

Report Title:

UH; CTAHR; Position; Establishment; Kona Cooperative Extension; Expenditure Ceiling; Appropriation

Description:

Makes an appropriation to establish one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Educational Support Associate position within the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources' Kona Cooperative Extension. Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling is exceeded. (SD1)

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