STAND. COM. REP. NO.  587-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 1947

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1947 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure as received by your Committee is to foster good land stewardship practices and increase worker safety that will ultimately lead to safe products for consumers by, among other things:

     (1)  Establishing an Agricultural Safety and Security Program to, among other things, assist the agricultural industry in achieving food, environmental, and worker safety in a cost effective and efficient manner;

     (2)  Authorizing the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules adopting generally accepted agricultural management practices; and

     (3)  Authorizing monies in the Certification Services Revolving Fund to be used for the Program.

     Your Committee held a public hearing and deferred decision making on this measure.  Subsequently, your Committee scheduled, held a hearing, and accepted testimony on Proposed House Draft 1 (Proposed H.D. 1) that was circulated for public review and comment.
     The Proposed H.D. 1 differed from the measure as received by your Committee in the following material respects:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Agriculture to adopt generally accepted agricultural and management practices, after considering available information and input solicited by the Department;

     (2)  Requiring the Department to establish an Audit and Certification Program to audit and certify that producers, who voluntarily request certification, are following generally accepted agricultural and management practices;

     (3)  Establishing the Agricultural Practices Audit and Certification Revolving Fund to establish and maintain the generally accepted agricultural and management practices program; and

     (4)  Deleting the funding from the Certification Services Revolving Fund for the Agricultural Safety and Security Program.

Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Maui County Farm Bureau, West County Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc., testified in support of the Proposed H.D. 1.  The Department of Health, Ala Moana Farmers' Market, Hawaii Kai Farmers' Market, Haleiwa Farmers' Market, Hawaii Farmers Union United, Waialua Farmers Cooperative, and numerous individuals testified in opposition to the Proposed H.D. 1.  The Department of Agriculture and Department of Budget and Finance provided comments on the Proposed H.D. 1.

     After careful consideration, your Committee has amended the Proposed H.D. 1 by:

     (1)  Authorizing, rather than mandating, the Department of Agriculture to establish an Audit and Certification Program; 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 Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1947, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1947, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair