STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1431-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.C.R. No. 72

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 72 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO VIGOROUSLY ENFORCE LAWS REGARDING THE LABELING OF PREVIOUSLY FROZEN FISH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the Department of Health to enforce Part III of Chapter 328, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by pursuing injunctions and fines against persons who mislabel previously frozen fish as fresh fish.

The Department of Health and Hawaii Seafood Council testified in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by requesting the Department of Health to submit the following information to the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health and the Chair of the House Committee on Health:

(1)  The number of offenses, including repeat offenses; and

(2)  The history of any injunctive or abatement actions taken by the Department of Health,

with regard to the mislabeling of previously frozen fish as fresh fish within the past five years.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 72, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 72, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair