Report Title:

Procurement Code; Agricultural Products

Description:

Amends the procurement code to establish a preference for the purchase of agricultural products raised or grown in Hawaii.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	396
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the procurement code.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  Chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§103D-   Hawaii agricultural products. (a)  To encourage the purchase and use of Hawaii agricultural products in the food operations of state correctional facilities and state hospitals and healthcare facilities, contracts shall be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidders, with preference given to the agricultural products raised or grown in Hawaii.

(b)  The policy board shall adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91 governing preference for Hawaii agricultural products.  The rules shall establish percentages of preference and the method of determining the qualifications of various agricultural products for preference.

(c)  The state procurement office, with the assistance of the department of agriculture, shall develop a Hawaii agricultural product program that shall require the state purchasing agents of food operations at state correctional facilities and state hospitals and healthcare facilities to:

(1) Apply a preference to the purchase of agricultural products that are raised or grown in Hawaii before purchasing agricultural products that are not raised or grown in Hawaii; and

(2) Set goals to increase in increments the purchase of Hawaii agricultural products from ten per cent per year to a maximum of fifty per cent per year.

(d)  The chief procurement officers shall periodically review their specifications to determine whether discrimination against procured Hawaii agricultural products exists and shall revise these specifications to eliminate any discrimination.

(e)  This section shall not apply whenever its application will disqualify an agency from receiving federal funds or aid.

(f)  For purposes of this section, "Hawaii agricultural products" means any floricultural, horticultural, viticultural, forestry, nut, coffee, dairy, livestock, poultry, bee, farm or plantation products, and fish and aquacultural commodities raised or grown in Hawaii."

     SECTION 2.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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