HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	75
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the Department of agriculture to Establish a working group to evaluate Hawaii's food readiness and food security in response to natural or man-made disasters.

     WHEREAS, the State is over-reliant on outside sources for food, importing eighty-five per cent of our food; and

     WHEREAS, food self-sufficiency is one of the foundations of a sustainable community; and

     WHEREAS, a disaster thousands of miles away can adversely affect us here days later; and

     WHEREAS, it is essential for the State to be efficiently organized and adequately funded to facilitate the production and distribution of food during an emergency; and

     WHEREAS, an appropriate response requires pre-planning and coordination across various federal, state, and county agencies, as well as farmers and community groups; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Agriculture is requested to establish a working group to evaluate the State of Hawaii's food readiness and food security in response to natural or man-made disasters; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the working group consist of twenty-six members, including:

     (1)  One member from the Civil Defense Division, of the Department of Defense;

     (2)  One representative from each county civil defense agency;

     (3)  One representative from each county farm bureau;

     (4)  One representative from each county farm cooperative;

     (5)  One representative from each county board or department of water supply;

     (6)  One member from the state Commission on Water Resource Management;

     (7)  One representative from each county department of public works;

     (8)  The Director of Health, or the Director's designee;

     (9)  The Director of Transportation, or the Director's designee;

    (10)  The Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, or the Chairperson's designee; and

    (11)  One representative from the United States Department of Agriculture; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Agriculture is requested to provide needed administrative, professional, technical, and clerical support to the tax force; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than thirty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Adjutant General, the Director of Health, the Director of Transportation, the Administrator of the Commission on Water Resource Management, and the Mayor of each county in the State,

and the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture who in turn is requested to transmit copies to all other agencies and entities listed in this Concurrent Resolution.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title: 

Food Readiness and Food Security Working Group; Report