REPORT TITLE:
Organic Agriculture


DESCRIPTION:
Requires the Department of Agriculture to compile statistics on
organic agriculture.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           2164
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT
RELATING TO THE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 141-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "§141-1 Duties in general.  The department of agriculture
 
 4 shall:
 
 5      (1)  Information and statistics.  Gather, compile, and
 
 6           tabulate, from time to time, information and statistics
 
 7           concerning:
 
 8           (A)  Entomology and plant pathology.  Insects, scales,
 
 9                blights, and diseases injurious, or liable to
 
10                become injurious, to trees, plants, or other
 
11                vegetation, and the ways and means of
 
12                exterminating pests and diseases already in the
 
13                State and preventing the introduction of those not
 
14                yet here;
 
15           (B)  General agriculture[.], including certified
 
16                organic agriculture.  Fruits, fibres, and useful
 
17                or ornamental plants and their introduction,
 
18                development, care, and manufacture or exportation,
 
19                with a view to introducing, establishing, and
 
20                fostering new and valuable plants and industries.
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           2164
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (2)  Cooperation with other organizations.  Encourage and
 
 2           cooperate with the agricultural extension service and
 
 3           agricultural experiment station of the University of
 
 4           Hawaii and all private persons and organizations doing
 
 5           work of an experimental or educational character coming
 
 6           within the scope of the subject matter of chapters 141,
 
 7           142, and 144 to 149A, and avoid, as far as practicable,
 
 8           duplicating the work of those persons and
 
 9           organizations;
 
10      (3)  Agreements with other organizations.  Enter into
 
11           contracts, cooperative agreements, or other
 
12           transactions with any person, agency, or organization,
 
13           public or private, as may be necessary in the conduct
 
14           of the department's business and on such terms as the
 
15           department may deem appropriate; provided that the
 
16           department shall not obligate any funds of the State,
 
17           except the funds that have been appropriated to the
 
18           department;
 
19      (4)  Library.  Secure copies of the laws of other states,
 
20           territories, and countries, and other publications
 
21           germane to the subject matters of chapters 141, 142,
 
22           and 144 to 149A, and make laws and publications
 
23           available for public information and consultation;
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           2164
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (5)  Buildings and apparatus.  Provide buildings, grounds,
 
 2           apparatus, and appurtenances necessary for the
 
 3           examination, quarantine, inspection, and fumigation
 
 4           provided for by chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 149A; for
 
 5           the obtaining, propagation, study, and distribution of
 
 6           beneficial insects, growths, and antidotes for the
 
 7           eradication of insects, blights, scales, or diseases
 
 8           injurious to vegetation of value and for the
 
 9           destruction of injurious vegetation; and for carrying
 
10           out any other purposes of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to
 
11           149A;
 
12      (6)  Further legislation.  Formulate and recommend to the
 
13           governor and legislature additional legislation
 
14           necessary or desirable for carrying out the purposes of
 
15           chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 149A;
 
16      (7)  Annual reports.  Publish at the end of each year a
 
17           report of the expenditures and proceedings of the
 
18           department and of the results achieved by the
 
19           department, together with other matters germane to
 
20           chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 149A, and which the
 
21           department may deem proper;
 
22      (8)  Planning and development.  Administer a program of
 
23           agricultural planning and development, including the
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           2164
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           formulation and implementation of general and special
 
 2           plans, including but not limited to the functional plan
 
 3           for agriculture; administer the planning, development,
 
 4           and management of the agricultural park program; plan,
 
 5           construct, operate, and maintain the state irrigation
 
 6           water systems; review, interpret, and make
 
 7           recommendations with respect to public policies and
 
 8           actions relating to agricultural land and water use;
 
 9           assist in research, evaluation, development,
 
10           enhancement, and expansion of local agricultural
 
11           industries; and serve as liaison with other public
 
12           agencies and private organizations for the above
 
13           purposes.  In the foregoing, the department of
 
14           agriculture shall act to conserve and protect
 
15           agricultural lands and irrigation water systems,
 
16           promote diversified agriculture, increase agricultural
 
17           self-sufficiency, and ensure the availability of
 
18           agriculturally suitable lands."
 
19      SECTION 2.  The department of agriculture shall ensure the
 
20 availability of the information and statistics with respect to
 
21 organic agriculture under section 1 of this bill, twenty days
 
22 prior to the convening of the regular session of 2001.
 
23      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           2164
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 New statutory material is underscored.
 
 2      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
 3 
 
 4                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________