STAND. COM. REP. NO. 525

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1588

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1588 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to 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 Education; Department of Agriculture; University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Ulupono Initiative; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership.

Your Committee finds that achieving food safety certifications is an important aspect in sustaining local food production. A GroupGap program will reduce costs for producers and make Good Agricultural Practices certifications more accessible to small farmers and ranchers. This measure will establish and implement the GroupGAP Food Safety Training and Certification Program within the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1588, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1588, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair