STAND. COM. REP. NO. 548

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1350

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.B. No. 1350 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Department of Agriculture to establish and implement a GroupGAP Food Safety Training and Certification Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, University of Hawai‘i System, North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Ulupono Initiative, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Hawaii Fish Company, Aina Ho‘okupu o Kilauea, Hawaii Food+ Policy Internship 2023, and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that the United States Department of Agriculture created the GroupGAP program to assist small farms with attaining Good Agricultural Practices certification and is the only comprehensive farm food safety training program in Hawaii that provides this certification. While the Legislature worked to provide more food safety training programs through Act 136, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, your Committee believes that funding for the Department of Agriculture is needed to ensure the quality of locally produced foods through a GroupGAP food safety training and certification program.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1350, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1350, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

____________________________

CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES, Chair