Bill Text: HI SB2948 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Bill 2948 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating To Agriculture.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-24 - Referred to AEN/HRE, WAM. [SB2948 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-SB2948-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2948
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
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, as the demand for unskilled labor increases, farmers and ranchers are searching for ways to use technology to better operate their farms. These farmers and ranchers could greatly benefit from foreign technology like small equipment tractors from Japan. However, they are unable to import that equipment because it does not comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's emission standards.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the college of tropical agriculture and human resources, to work in collaboration with a University of Hawaii system community college, for a pilot program to identify and purchase foreign agricultural technology, including small equipment tractors and retrofit engines, which will benefit the State's farmers and ranchers and that complies with the Environmental Protection Agency's emission standards.

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 2022-2023 to establish the foreign agriculture small equipment pilot program to:

(a) Identify and purchase foreign agricultural technology, including but not limited to small equipment tractors and retrofit engines, which will benefit the State's farmers and ranchers and comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's emission standards;

(b) Establish contact with manufacturers of small equipment in Japan and other countries;

(c) Work with the United States Environmental Protection Agency to identify federal Environmental Protection Agency standard and compliance requirements for small foreign agricultural equipment;

(d) Collaborate with agriculture and agricultural professionals from foreign countries on management practices;

(e) Bring harvesting, weed management, and field preparation machinery into the State of Hawaii for evaluation;

(f) Conduct on-farm trials to evaluate the efficacy and applicability to multiple growing systems (e.g. wetland conventional, organic, forage crops, etc.) statewide; and

(g) Conduct education and training workshops statewide to update agriculture producers on available technology.

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

SECTION 3. The dean of the University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2023 on the progress of the foreign agriculture small equipment pilot program.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

University of Hawaii; Small Agricultural Equipment; Pilot Program; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii to establish a foreign agriculture small equipment pilot program. Requires a report to the Legislature.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.