Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1154 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish that home-based agricultural producers of honey shall not be required to process honey in a certified honey house or food processing establishment, or be required to obtain a permit from the Department of Health, if the honey producer:

(1) Sells less than 50 gallons of honey a year;

(2) Sells all of the honey directly to the consumer; and

In addition, this bill declares that if the Department of Agriculture (DOA) receives a consumer complaint about a honey producer, the producer shall be subject to food sampling and subsequent inspection if its product has been determined to be misbranded or adulterated.

DOA supported the intent of this bill.

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. 1154 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.