STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3287

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 134

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 134, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO "BUY LOCAL" TO ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABILITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage and promote a more sustainable future for the State by urging the Department of Education and the Department of Health to "buy local".

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the Department of Health, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association.

     In light of local, regional, and global changes, and to better define and implement state goals, objectives, policies, and priority guidelines, the Legislature enacted Act 8, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, which created the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Task Force to review the Hawaii State Plan and the State's planning process.  The Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan provides a framework for addressing vital quality-of-life and public policy issues, including land and water use, energy, public infrastructure, economic development, transportation, education, the arts, and health, and provides strategies to meet the needs of Hawaii's residents now and in the future.  Your Committee finds that one of the initiatives of the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan is to increase and support the production and consumption of local products, and urging the Department of Education and the Department of Health to "buy local" will support this initiative and promote a more sustainable future for the State.

     Your Committee recognizes the amendments suggested by the Hawaii Food Industry Association that tie into the "buy local" theme by encouraging the Department of Education and the Department of Health to create and implement food ware and food waste recycling programs in Hawaii.  The Hawaii Food Industry Association indicated that Massachusetts has already successfully implemented a recycling program where food waste and polystyrene food trays are separated in cafeterias and sent to their respective locations for recycling.  Your Committee finds that the recycling of these materials completes the circle of consumption by beginning with the purchase of local products and ending with the recycling of what is left of these local products to create new local products for local consumption.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure and its title by:

     (1)  Expanding its scope with the addition of language that encourages the Department of Education and the Department of Health to create and implement food ware and food waste recycling programs to promote a stronger sustainable future for Hawaii; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 134, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 134, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair