STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3430

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 38

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Government Operations and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 38 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TO ESTABLISH A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER TASK FORCE TO ADVANCE STATE PROCUREMENT OF LOCALLY PRODUCED FOOD,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Lieutenant Governor's office to establish a multi-stakeholder task force to advance the state procurement of locally produced food.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Department of Education; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Maui Farmers Union United; Hawaii Farmers Union United – Haleakala Chapter; Kahumana Organic Farms; A‘a Li‘i Farm; Ka Ohana O Na Pua; Slow Money Hawaii; Farm Link Hawai‘i; EcoTipping Points Project; The Jones Family Farm Waianae; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Ulupono Initiative; and seventeen individuals.

Your Committees find that the task force requested by this measure could provide necessary coordination to facilitate a farmer's ability to scale-up production by providing a pathway to the larger state government purchasers of locally produced food and creating a reliable market for the purchase of these goods. According to testimony received by your Committees, this effort will continue to help local farmers, ranchers, and distributors while increasing the health of our economy, our residents, and the overall well-being of the State.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Including references to small-scale farms; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

Your Committees note that the language of this concurrent resolution gives broad discretion regarding the composition of the task force, and that consultations with groups that advocate for family and small-scale farms, like the Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Farmers Union United, are appropriate.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 38, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 38, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair