STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 792
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.B. No. 1334
H.D. 2
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1334, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEAT DONATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The
purpose of this measure is to exempt
the donation of wild game, including wild game meat products, to charitable,
religious, or nonprofit organizations for the purpose of feeding needy individuals
from certain laws regarding the inspection and transportation of meat.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Agriculture;
one member of the Maui County Council; Maui Wild Game Management to Feed the
Hungry; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Maui Food Bank; Hawai‘i
FoodBank; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Hawai‘i
Farm Bureau; Maui Adaptation Project; Maui Chamber of Commerce; Ulupalakua
Ranch; and nine individuals.
Your Committee finds
that food security is a growing crisis in Hawaii, with nearly one in three
households struggling to access adequate food.
Your Committee further finds that wild game, including the invasive axis
deer, presents a nutritious, sustainable, and high-protein source of food that
can be used to expand food access for needy individuals. Your Committee believes that aligning the
State's food inspection laws with the Federal Meat Inspection Act, which
exempts wild game meat from mandatory federal inspection when donated to
charitable organizations, will significantly increase food access to those in
need.
Your
Committee has amended this measure by 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 Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1334, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1334, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair |
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