STAND. COM. REP. NO.  38

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 290

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 290 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the operations of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) by:

     (1)  Establishing the Agriculture Inspection and Certification Special Fund (Special Fund) to pay for:

          (A)  Licensure of commission merchants, dealers, brokers, agents, processors, and retail merchants;

          (B)  Administration, operation, and enforcement of laws relating to farm produce, feed, and grades and standards; and

          (C)  Inspection, certification, weighing, or grading of agricultural commodities;

     (2)  Specifying that certain fees, charges, expenses, or penalties collected under the regulatory operations of DOA shall be transmitted to the Special Fund;

     (3)  Requiring DOA to adopt new or amend existing rules to impose or increase fees collected under the regulatory operations of DOA to pay for the regulatory operations and costs relating to central services and departmental administrative expense assessments; and

     (4)  Allowing DOA to enter into cooperative agreements with other public or private entities for:

          (A)  Travel and other expenses for inspectors to perform certain required certification and audit services; and

          (B)  An internet food safety promotional and reporting system.

     The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and Hawaii Crop Improvement Association supported this bill.  DOA and Department of Budget and Finance submitted comments. 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     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. 290, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 290, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair