STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1507

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 573

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 573, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to develop and support good agricultural practices by establishing a permanent Hawaii good agricultural practices program for farms growing agricultural food products. 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, University of Hawaii, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Ulupono Initiative, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii State Constitution mandates the preservation and protection of agricultural resources.  Your Committee also finds that the number of small farms in the State has grown significantly during the last ten years, causing a need for oversight to prevent potential food product contamination on these small farms.  Your Committee believes that developing and implementing risk-reducing guidelines and a science-based Hawaii good agricultural practices program to decrease the potential for food product contamination on farms will protect and preserve agricultural resources.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 573, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair