STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2012

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2291

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2291 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Agriculture to fund agricultural research conducted by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation to demonstrate to the United States Food and Drug Administration that Hawaii's farmers can comply with the food safety requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act using alternative, less burdensome methods.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.; and Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the United States Food and Drug Administration will soon formalize stricter food safety regulations for agriculture under the Food Safety Modernization Act.  The anticipated regulations are expected to cost Hawaii farmers a substantial amount of money and threaten the State's efforts to increase agricultural sustainability.  The Food Safety Modernization Act, however, will allow the use of alternative farming methods if these methods are scientifically shown to be as safe as the Food and Drug Administration's prescribed procedures.  Therefore, research must be conducted to demonstrate that the less expensive and traditional farming procedures used by Hawaii farmers are safe and acceptable to the Food and Drug Administration.  Unfortunately, small farms in Hawaii do not have the financial means to conduct research themselves or to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act.  Your Committee concludes that establishing alternative food safety procedures that are appropriate for small farms in Hawaii given the climatic, biological, and economic conditions unique to Hawaii is necessary to sustain local agriculture while ensuring that Hawaii farmers are in compliance with federal laws.

     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 S.B. No. 2291 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair