STAND

STAND. COM. REP. 2717

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2818

S.D. 1

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2818 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make statutory housekeeping changes to the law regulating the Department of Agriculture's agricultural commodities section.

Specifically, this bill:

(1) Transfers the provisions relating to coffee weight under section 141-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to chapter 147, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to agricultural grades and standards certification activities;

(2) Transfers the authority to regulate advertising of size, grade, origin, or quality of fresh fruits, vegetables, and coffee by departmental rules currently under part I of chapter 148, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to chapter 147; and

(3) Allows the fees collected by temporary inspectors hired under the certification services revolving fund to remain in the fund.

Your Committee finds that these changes will enhance the administration of the agricultural commodities section and provide for more efficient use of department resources.

Your Committee has amended the bill by:

(1) Establishing a specific lifespan (until June 30, 2007) for administrative rules that were adopted under the authority of statutes being repealed by this measure, unless those rules are being repealed and replaced prior to June 30, 2007, by rules adopted by the Department of Agriculture pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(2) Making technical changes that have no substantive effect.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2818, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2818, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

		____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair