H.B. 774 Summary

• Establishes a preference for farmers who produce food for local consumption and Hawaiian plants when the Board of Agriculture negotiates and executes leases for agricultural and non-agricultural park lands.

• Adds locally-focused food production as a fifth preference category under Hawaii Revised Statutes §166-8, alongside existing preferences for veterans, displaced farmers, nonconforming use farmers, and new farmers.

• Modifies §166-10 to allow agricultural park special fund proceeds to support preferences for local food producers and Hawaiian plant farmers.

• Modifies §166E-8 to require the board to establish preferences for local food producers and Hawaiian plant farmers when granting non-agricultural park land leases.

• Appropriates unspecified amounts from general revenues to the agricultural park special fund and non-agricultural park lands special fund for fiscal years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 to support the new preference system.