Bill Text: HI SB2703 | 2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Agriculture.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-03-16 - This measure has been deleted from the meeting scheduled on Wednesday 03-18-20 8:35AM in conference room 312. [SB2703 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2020-SB2703-Amended.html
THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2703 |
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020 |
S.D. 1 |
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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- Grant
program; beginning farmer and rancher start-up costs. (a)
There is established in the department of agriculture a grant program to
assist beginning farmers and ranchers in meeting the operating costs, including
start-up and organization costs, of starting a commercial farm or ranch.
(b) The program shall provide grants to qualified
applicants under the following terms and conditions:
(1) No grant shall
be awarded unless the applicant has a fifty per cent match of funds, at minimum,
to start the commercial farm or ranch;
(2) The total
amount of a grant awarded to any one applicant shall not exceed $15,000;
(3) The applicant shall
be a beginning farmer or beginning rancher;
(4) The applicant
shall have received all applicable business and tax licenses and permits;
(5) The applicant
shall comply with all applicable federal and state laws prohibiting
discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin,
religion, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other
characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law;
(6) The grant shall
not be used for the purposes of entertainment; and
(7) The qualified applicant
and grant application shall comply with other requirements as the department
may prescribe including, but not limited to:
(A) Providing
to the department tax returns, business licenses, financial records, tax clearances
or compliance certificates, and all other requested records relating to the grant;
and
(B) Allowing
state agencies to monitor the applicant's compliance with any and all grant conditions.
(c) The department may adopt interim rules, exempt
from chapter 91 and chapter 201M, to effectuate the purposes of the program; provided
that any interim rules shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2022, or until
rules are adopted pursuant to chapter 91, whichever occurs sooner.
(d) An administrative staff member of the department
shall review and approve all grant applications.
(e) As used in this section:
"Beginning farmer"
means a farm enterprise or person who has not previously farmed commercially or
has been farming commercially for less than two years preceding the application
by the enterprise or person.
"Beginning rancher" means
a ranch enterprise or person who has not previously ranched commercially or
has been ranching commercially for less than two years preceding the application
by the enterprise or person."
SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the development and administration of the beginning farmer and rancher grant program under this Act.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 3. Any provision of this Act to the contrary notwithstanding, the appropriations authorized under this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made. Any unexpended and unencumbered balance of the appropriation made in this Act as of the close of business on June 30, 2022, shall lapse.
SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.
Report Title:
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Grant Program; Appropriation
Description:
Creates a grant program and appropriates funds for a program to assist beginning farmers or ranchers to start commercial farm or ranch operations. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.