STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO.2999

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2631

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2631 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEAT GRADING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purposes of this measure are to:

(1) Clarify the meat products for which grade standards may be developed and for which grading services may be offered;

(2) Remove the responsibility for the meat grading program from the animal industry division of the Department of Agriculture; and

(3) Clarify and simplify the language of the law.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) removed the full-time meat grader from Hawaii due to lack of demand for services and the inability to cover costs with the fees charged. A cooperative agreement was entered into with the USDA in early 2000, and a Quality Assurance Division staff member was trained to conduct the meat grading to make this service available. The regulatory clarifications provided by this measure will help guide the activities of the staff member.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2631, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

		____________________________ JAN YAGI BUEN, Chair