THE SENATE

THE THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION OF 2022

 

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair

Senator Clarence K. Nishihara, Vice Chair

 

AMENDED NOTICE OF HEARING

 

 

DATE:

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

TIME:

1:00 PM

PLACE:

Conference Room 224 & Via Videoconference

Text Box: THE STATE CAPITOL IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC DURING THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC This policy is subject to change and may be adjusted based on evolving COVID-19 guidelines. Please check the Legislature’s website for updates www.capitol.hawaii.gov. To comply with social distancing requirements, only written and videoconference testimony will be accepted. If you wish to testify via videoconference you must also submit written testimony. A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel. Click here for more information about Live and On-Demand Video options.

 

A M E N D E D A G E N D A

 

 

 

SB 2955

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO COMPOSTING.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a three-year compost reimbursement pilot program to provide reimbursements to farmers and ranchers when purchasing compost from a certified processor, dealer, retailer, or wholesaler licensed to do business in the State. Establishes a temporary compost reimbursement pilot program manager position. Requires the Department to submit a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

AEN, WAM

SB 2960

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO FOOD SAFETY.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to partner with the Hawaii agricultural community to establish and implement a food safety certification training program to help small to medium

sized farms comply with federal food safety certification mandates. Appropriates funds.

AEN, WAM

SB 2962

Status & Testimony

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE I OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT THE INHERENT AND INALIENABLE RIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE TO CLEAN WATER AND AIR AND HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS, INCLUDING CLIMATE, AND TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE NATURAL, CULTURAL, SCENIC, AND HEALTHFUL QUALITIES OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

Proposes a constitutional amendment that recognizes and protects, for present and future generations, the inherent and inalienable right of all people to clean water and air and healthy ecosystems, including climate, and to the preservation of the natural, cultural, scenic, and healthful qualities of the environment. Provides that the State and its subdivisions shall protect and shall not infringe upon these rights.

AEN, JDC/WAM

 

[Deleted On 02-02-22]

SB 2973

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO HEMP PRODUCTION.

Extends regulatory authority of the Department of Agriculture over hemp production until June 30, 2024.

AEN, JDC

SB 2982

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO A FOOD HUB PILOT PROGRAM.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a five-year food hub pilot program to increase access to local food.

Provides for the award of grant funding to qualified applicants wishing to establish or expand a food hub. Requires reports to the Legislature. Makes an appropriation.

AEN, WAM

SB 2986

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO HEMP.

Removes certain duplicative regulations imposed on hemp producers in the State. Allows hemp producers to sell biomass directly to consumers. Requires that hemp produced in the State be labeled as Hawaii produced and that hemp produced outside the State be labeled with the appropriate origin.

AEN, CPN

SB 2989

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a Healthy Soils Program.

AEN, WAM

SB 2990

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE.

Establishes a cover crop reimbursement pilot program to provide up to seventy-five per cent cost reimbursement to farming operations in the State for acquiring cover crop seeds, green manure, or compost. Requires the convening of a review panel to screen and rate applicants on the quality of their cover crop and green manure and composting practices. Establishes a cover crop reimbursement pilot program manager position within the Department of Agriculture to administer the program. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

AEN, WAM

SB 3001

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO SUNSCREEN.

Beginning January 1, 2023, prohibits the sale, offer for sale, or distribution in the State of any sunscreen that contains active ingredients that are not generally recognized as safe and

effective by the Food and Drug Administration, without a prescription issued by a licensed health care provider.

AEN, CPN/JDC

SB 3005

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE.

Establishes a three-year cover crop reimbursement pilot program to provide reimbursement to farming operations in the State for costs related to cover cropping. Establishes a cover crop reimbursement pilot program manager position within the department of agriculture to administer the program. Requires an annual report to the legislature. Appropriates funds.

AEN, WAM

SB 3197

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Establishes a Farmer Apprentice Mentoring Program to teach and train farmers to utilize a whole farm system approach to agriculture. Makes an appropriation to the Department of Agriculture to provide mentoring on a whole farm system approach to agriculture.

AEN, WAM

SB 3198

Status & Testimony

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BENEFITING AGRICULTURE.

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects for agriculture.

AEN, WAM

 

 

 

Decision Making to follow, if time permits.

 

All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.

 

Persons wishing to submit written testimony or request to testify via videoconference may do so up to 24 hours prior to the hearing.

 

Click here to submit written testimony.

 

If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please sign in to your account on the Legislature's website, then click on the "Testimony" icon on the home page. Detailed step-by-step instructions are available on the testimony submittal page. They are also posted on the Legislature's website here.

Please note the following:

·         The number of videoconference testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chairwhen necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify remotely.

·          Videoconference testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 1-2 minutes each.

 

For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587- 0478 or [email protected]. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.

 

For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you require other auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., interpretive services (oral or written) or ASL interpreter), or are unable to submit testimony via the website due to a disability, please contact the committee at [email protected] at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.

 

For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored. If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT (808) 586-6830.

 

Senator Mike Gabbard

Chair