§161-2  Findings and declaration of necessity.  It is hereby declared that the poultry industry is a paramount agricultural industry of this State and the production and marketing of poultry is an enterprise that is of significant importance to the economy of the State and to the health of the consuming public.  It is essential to the public health and welfare of consumers that they be protected by assuring that poultry or poultry products distributed to them are wholesome, not adulterated, and properly marked, labeled, and packaged.  Unwholesome, adulterated, or misbranded poultry or poultry products are injurious to the public health and welfare, destroy markets for wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged poultry or poultry products, and result in sundry losses to poultry producers and processors of poultry as well as injury to consumers.  The unwholesome, adulterated, mislabeled, or deceptively packaged articles can be sold at lower prices and compete unfairly with the wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged articles, to the detriment of consumers and the public generally.  It is hereby found that regulation by the department of agriculture and cooperation by this State with the United States Department of Agriculture as contemplated by this chapter is appropriate to protect the health and welfare of consumers and otherwise to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

     The 90th Congress enacted Public Law 90-492, entitled "The Wholesome Poultry Products Act", which is now redesignated as the "Poultry Products Inspection Act".  The Poultry Products Inspection Act is intended to protect the consuming public from adulterated or misbranded poultry or poultry products and to assist the states in their efforts to accomplish this objective.  The Poultry Products Inspection Act authorizes the United States Secretary of Agriculture to furnish financial and related assistance to states for the administration of poultry inspection programs which conform to established federal standards up to fifty per cent of the estimated total cost of the cooperative program.  Hawaii's poultry industry is not subject to poultry inspection law or rules and regulations that meet the minimum federal requirement in this area.  In order to qualify for the cooperative program, the State must demonstrate "progressive action" by July 18, 1970; and, further, all physical facilities must be upgraded in accordance with the established federal standards by July 18, 1971.  Failure to comply with the standards prescribed by the Poultry Products Inspection Act will result in federal control of the poultry or poultry processing industries of the State.  Accordingly, the State of Hawaii deems it to be in the interest of the State's public health and welfare to take such steps as are necessary to qualify for federal financial and related assistance for the administration of a poultry inspection program which conforms to federal standards prescribed in the Poultry Products Inspection Act. [L 1969, c 212, §2; am L 1993, c 92, §1]