STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1934-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2960

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2960, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Department of Agriculture to partner with the agricultural community to establish and implement a food safety certification training program to help small- and medium-sized farms comply with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act by obtaining Good Agricultural Practices or equivalent certification.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Research and Development of the County of Hawaii; North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership; Kauai Women's Caucus; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Kekaha Agriculture Association; New Island Feed, Inc. dba New Island Farm Solutions; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaii Fish Company Inc.; and ten individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2022, and deleting the proviso relating to the effective date for section 3; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2960, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2960, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair