STAND. COM. REP. NO.  375

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1628

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1628 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII MACADAMIA NUT PRODUCT LABELING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure that consumers are provided accurate labeling with respect to macadamia nut products by requiring consumer packages with labels representing that a portion of the macadamia nuts were grown in Hawaii to specify the percentage of Hawaiian-grown macadamia nuts.

     The Department of Agriculture supported 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. 1628 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair