Senate Bills Impact A Wide Range Of Issues
Direct from Donovan…Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz
The state Senate is working on a number of bills that could have major effects on our community. Here are a few:
Senate Bill 2400 requires the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) and the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) to design a program that would create new farmers by identifying emerging crops and productive uses for lands managed by the ADC.
The intent is to design a program to prepare the cultivation of these lands.
The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture and ADC to develop a coordinated land management strategy to promote diversified agriculture, support emerging and specialty crops and enhance the development of agriculture.
These organizations also would be required to coordinate and provide technical support to farmers in identifying emerging and promising crops, and their efforts to cultivate a successful agricultural business.
We have acres of potentially productive lands that are currently lying fallow. We need to make these lands productive again, and with it the emergence of diversified agriculture.
Further, for agriculture to succeed, we need to help farmers by enabling them to succeed with their operations. We cannot just talk about our need to reduce our dependency on imported food. We need to make it happen.
Senate Bill 2434 creates a full-time position to assist the Alzheimer’s disease and dementia services coordinator in the Executive Office on Aging with information and referrals, counseling, education, support groups and safety services.
Realizing that many families have had, or are now coping with, family members who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, I introduced the bill to enable the office to work toward achieving the following goals:
* To prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease;
* To enhance the quality and efficiency of care;
* To expand support for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families;
* To enhance public awareness and engagement; and
* To improve data to track progress
Families and caregivers need support to help their loved ones, and to address the demands of day-today care and the need to be able to seek services and help to develop a good support system to enable them to deal with their situations.
For more information about these bills or to contact Sen. Dela Cruz about issues important to you, call 586-6090 or email sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov.
