STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3369

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2582

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2582, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to support Hawaii's agricultural industry and assist farmers and ranchers subject to the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.

     Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Establishes within the Department of Agriculture an agricultural food safety certification program that will concurrently satisfy the requirements of the Department of Agriculture and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act;

     (2)  Appropriates funds for the development and implementation of the certification program; and

     (3)  Authorizes and appropriates funds for program staff.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, and North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership.

     Your Committee finds that the purpose of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act is to ensure that the United States food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.  Your Committee also finds that it may be difficult for farmers and ranchers in the State to comply with the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.  Your Committee believes that this measure will support Hawaii's agricultural industry by assisting farmers and ranchers with FDA Food Safety Modernization Act compliance.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the amount of the appropriation of the development and implementation of the certification program from $200,000 to an unspecified amount to facilitate further discussion.

     Your Committee notes that the appropriation to fund the certification program staff positions is for an unspecified amount.  Should this measure be deliberated further, your Committee requests that the Department of Agriculture provide the appropriation amount necessary to fund the program staff positions proposed in the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2582, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2582, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair