CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 99

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2013

RE:    S.B. No. 326

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 326, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a Good Agricultural Practices Task Force to identify and develop good agricultural practices and preventative measure guidelines in the food supply system to improve the overall safety of locally grown food.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that food safety is vital to improving food production and food security in the State.  This measure seeks to develop strategies to ensure safe food throughout the farm-to-consumer food supply system in order to mitigate health and food safety risks and increase consumer confidence in locally produced food. 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting language that appropriated an unspecified amount of funds for administrative costs associated with the Good Agricultural Practices Task Force; and

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2013. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 326, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 326, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JESSICA WOOLEY, Co-Chair	____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair
____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair	____________________________ RONALD D. KOUCHI, Co-Chair
____________________________ RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Co-Chair