CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 31-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2960

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2960, S.D. 1, H.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:

(1) Require the Department of Agriculture to partner with Hawaii's agricultural community to establish and implement a food safety certification training program to help small- to medium-sized farms comply with federal food safety certification mandates; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee on Conference finds that compliance with federal food safety requirements can be challenging for Hawaii's small farms due to a lack of resources and knowledge of food safety requirements. Additional education and support for Hawaii's small farmers are necessary to ensure the continued productivity and viability of the State's agricultural industry. Accordingly, this measure requires the Department of Agriculture to partner with Hawaii's agricultural community to implement a food safety certification training program for small- and medium-sized farms.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by inserting an appropriation amount of $265,000.

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. 2960, 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. 2960, 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

____________________________ MARK J. HASHEM Co-Chair	____________________________ MIKE GABBARD Chair
____________________________ SEAN QUINLAN Co-Chair	____________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO Co-Chair
____________________________ AMY A. PERRUSO Co-Chair