CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 104-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

RE:    H.B. No. 2582

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2582, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD SAFETY,"

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 assist farmers and ranchers in complying with state and federal food safety requirements by:

     (1)  Establishing within the Department of Agriculture (DOA) an Agricultural Food Safety Certification Program (Program) that:

          (A)  Has a certification system which at a minimum complies with the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act and concurrently satisfies the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act and DOA;

          (B)  Researches less burdensome alternatives to satisfying the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act;

          (C)  Establishes food safety compliance education programs; and

          (D)  Acts as an information clearinghouse for food safety laws; and

     (2)  Appropriating funds for the development and implementation of the Program and staff positions within the Program.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation for the development and implementation of the Program;

     (2)  Specifying an appropriation amount of $200,000 for a full-time equivalent program manager, one full-time equivalent clerical staff, and one full-time equivalent specialist; and

     (3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2016.

     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 H.B. No. 2582, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2582, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair	____________________________ CLIFT TSUJI, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair	____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Co-Chair
____________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Co-Chair	____________________________ RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Co-Chair