STAND. COM. REP. NO.  436

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 508

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 508 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PROCUREMENT CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the procurement of agricultural commodities by government agencies by exempting from the Procurement Code any contract by governmental bodies to procure fresh meat and produce, and animals and plants, for use by any governmental body.

The State Procurement Office; The Kohala Center, Hawaii Island School Garden Network; Ulupono Initiative; and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Agriculture (DOA) and Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation testified in support of this measure with amendments.  Animal Rights Hawaii submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adopting the language suggested by DOA, as developed in tandem with the State Procurement Office, to place the exemption for fresh meat and produce, and animals and plants, within subparagraph (D) of section 103D-102(b)(4); and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of 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. 508, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 508, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JESSICA WOOLEY, Chair