Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 671 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide professional employees more time to conduct more complex agricultural certification activities.

Specifically, the measure allows the use of the certification services revolving fund to hire temporary employees to assist in the certification of chicken eggs and meat. In addition, the measure allows the Department of Agriculture to regulate the advertisement of imported or Hawaii produced commodities and repeals the coffee weighing law.

Your Committee finds that allowing the hiring of temporary employees to conduct certifications for chicken eggs and meat will give professional employees more time to conduct more complex agricultural certification activities. The coffee weighing law was never implemented. Allowing the Department to regulate advertisement of fresh fruits or vegetables or coffee through requirements specifying size, grade, geographic origin, or quality in conjunction with price, may be useful for marketing and regulating these agricultural commodities, and, most importantly, for the protection of consumers.

Your Committee amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

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. 671, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 671, S.D. 1.