Bill Text: HI HB2676 | 2016 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Energy Independent Farming Community; Pilot Project; Agriculture; Appropriation ($)
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 32-3)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-03-24 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. [HB2676 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2016-HB2676-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
2676 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016 |
H.D. 2 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
S.D. 1 |
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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. The legislature finds that new farmers face tremendous obstacles in starting a farm. For example, many new farmers face high infrastructure costs to provide water, sewer, and electrical services to the land. Farmers who lease land encounter difficulties in terminating leases when housing is situated on the leased land, while farmers who purchase private land face the prospect that lessees will demand lease to fee conversion.
Not surprisingly, even with the increasing interest in farming, the number of new farmers nationwide has declined by twenty per cent over the past five years. Further, the average age of a Hawaii farmer is higher than the national average, and that gap is increasing.
The legislature finds that the State, as owner of thousands of acres of agricultural land, can play a major role in addressing the barriers faced by prospective farmers by creating state-owned small farming communities. Agricultural areas with two to five acre lots, each with a clustered off-grid housing unit, leased to the farmer, can address many of the challenges faced by prospective farmers, while also addressing potential infrastructure, eviction, and inefficiency problems for the landowner.
The purpose of this Act is to encourage farming in the State by establishing a five-year energy independent farming community pilot project to provide support to persons who want to be farmers.
SECTION 2. (a) The University of Hawaii, college of tropical agriculture and human resources, agribusiness incubator program shall establish a five-year energy independent farming community pilot project.
(b) The energy independent farming community pilot project shall:
(1) Be owned by the State;
(2) Be managed by a manager, who shall be appointed by the dean of the University of Hawaii, college of tropical agriculture and human resources;
(3) Contain land, housing, and shared facilities;
(4) Lease land and homes to tenants who shall use the land for agricultural purposes;
(5) Utilize state funds or bonds to fund the initial land improvements, including construction of roads, buildings, and wells;
(6) Charge lease rents in amounts designed to finance the capital costs, maintenance, and management of the energy independent farming community pilot project; and
(7) Be energy and water independent, including using photovoltaic panels, atmospheric water generators, solar water heaters, septic waste water systems, well water, and any other technological developments related to energy and water independence.
(c) The energy independent farming community pilot project may configure the land to allow for housing and shared facilities to be located in the center of the community with each house adjacent to the tenant's respective farm.
(d) The University of Hawaii may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 3. The University of Hawaii shall submit interim reports to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, and a final report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2021. The reports shall contain information on the progress made toward implementing the energy independent farming community pilot project, the estimated amount of bonds required to finance the project and infrastructure, status of the pilot project, accomplishments of the pilot project, and proposed legislation, if any. The final report shall also include a recommendation on whether the pilot project should be made permanent.
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $100,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 to fund one full-time equivalent manager position (1.0 FTE) for the energy independent farming community pilot project.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $50,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the planning of an energy independent farming community pilot project.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2016, and shall be repealed on June 30, 2021.
Report Title:
Energy Independent Farming Community; Pilot Project; Agriculture; Appropriation
Description:
Establishes, within CTAHR's agribusiness incubator program, a five-year energy independent farming community pilot project. Appropriates funds. Repeals 6/30/2021. (SD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
