STAND. COM. REP. NO.  62-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 1787

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1787 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support the honey industry in Hawaii and ensure the safety of honey consumers by:

     (1)  Exempting qualifying agricultural producers, without access to municipal water supplies or infrastructure, from the requirements relating to certified food-processing establishments and Department of Health permits; and

     (2)  With respect to home-based honey producers:

          (A)  Increasing the qualifying threshold limit to less than 500 gallons of honey annually;

          (B)  Allowing sales to retail stores on the same island; and

          (C)  Requiring a label on honey containers, warning against consumption by infants under one year old.

Two concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Health testified in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Agriculture provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee notes the concerns raised by a member of your Committee regarding the ingredients and labeling of imported honey.  Accordingly, your Committee respectfully requests that your Committee on Health look into the matter.  Also, your Committee requests that the honey production threshold be examined further.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Setting the qualifying annual gallonage of honey for home-based honey production to an unspecified amount;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 1787, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1787, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Health.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair