STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1242-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   S.B. No. 2332

      S.D. 2

      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 Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2332, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to encourage beekeeping operations in the State by exempting home-based agricultural producers of honey from having to process the product in a certified honey house or food-processing establishment, or having to obtain a permit from the Department of Health, provided certain requirements are met.

The Department of Agriculture; Department of Health; Maui Natural Bee, LLC; and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  Island Princess and several individuals opposed this measure. 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the requirement that a home-based agricultural producer of honey:

(A)  Attend a Department of Health-approved food safety workshop and pass the food safety certification examination; and

(B)  Maintain records of honey production volume and honey product distribution for at least two years and make the records available to the Department of Health upon request;

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

(3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate continued discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2332, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2332, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair