Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Agriculture and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2518 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require that items represented to be "koa" wood actually contain acacia koa wood.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Board of Agriculture, Board of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Forest Industry.

Your Committees find that in recent years wood and wood products have been labeled as "koa" when in fact they were made from wood of species other than Acacia koa. Your Committees further find that this measure will protect consumers from purchasing wood or wood products that are misrepresented by misleading labeling and advertising as being made from koa.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2518, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2518, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.