H.B. 2468 Summary

• Authorizes the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, to conduct planning and feasibility studies for quarantine inspection, treatment, and consolidation facilities for agricultural commodities on the island of Hawaii, including evaluation of Foreign Trade Zone No. 9 in Hilo and alternative locations.

• Requires DBEDT to perform similar planning and feasibility studies for designated foreign-trade zone sites in central Oahu (identified by specific tax map keys: 7-1-002:004, 7-1-002:009, and 7-1-002:023) for storage, consolidation, processing, and packaging of imported and exported agricultural commodities.

• Establishes an agricultural technology park administered by the High Technology Development Corporation on three parcels of state-owned land to bridge agriculture and technology sectors, support farmer innovation, and provide agritourism opportunities for increased farm revenue and public exposure.

• Requires DBEDT to submit reports with recommendations and proposed legislation to the legislature no later than twenty days before the 2015 regular session on the status of all studies and analyses.

• Appropriates unspecified amounts from general revenues for fiscal year 2014-2015 to fund all studies, analyses, and park establishment; effective July 1, 2050.