Honolulu, Hawaii
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Seventh State Legislature
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1990 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to strengthen the food safety aspect of the State's goal for food sustainability and self-sufficiency by establishing the Hawaii Good Agricultural Practices Program for farms growing food products. Specifically, the Program will:
(1) Develop science- and risk-based good agricultural practices that reasonably reduce the potential for on-farm food borne illness;
(2) Develop cost- and time-effective programs to educate and train farmers in good agricultural practices;
(3) Provide for a voluntary verification of good agricultural practices compliance certification procedure; and
(4) Develop a consumer information program to teach home practices for the treatment and handling of agricultural food products.
The bill also appropriates an unspecified amount for the Program.
Should the Committee on Finance deliberate on this bill, your Committee respectfully request that the sum of $1,000,000 be appropriated for the Hawaii Good Agricultural Practices Program.
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. 1990 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,
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JESSICA WOOLEY, Chair |
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