STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2979

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3138

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 3138, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MANUFACTURED HEMP PRODUCTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify that the definition of "manufactured hemp products" includes hemp products specified in rules adopted by the Department of Health.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Hemptuary Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that Hawaiʻi retailers may only sell manufactured hemp products that comply with state regulations. However, the definition of "manufactured hemp product" was inadvertently amended by Act 263, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, to be ambiguous and may read to limit the Department of Health rulemaking authority to regulate new types of hemp products as manufactured hemp products. This measure supports Hawaiʻi's emerging hemp industry by allowing the Department of Health to evaluate and consider additional types of hemp products to be legally manufactured and sold in the State.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3138, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair