STAND. COM. REP. NO. 512-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1591

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health & Homelessness and Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1591 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MICROENTERPRISE KITCHENS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a regulatory framework for microenterprise home kitchens;

(2) Authorize the Department of Health to adopt rules for microenterprise home kitchens; and

(3) Appropriate funds.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii; Hawaii Food+ Policy; Maui Chamber of Commerce; and one individual. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committees find there are significant start-up and administrative costs for starting and sustaining a food establishment, such as a restaurant or food truck. Your Committees further finds that microenterprise home kitchens have significantly lower costs than traditional food establishment enterprises and provide individuals who might otherwise be unable to find traditional employment, such as stay-at-home parents or family caregivers, a way to supplement their income, build wealth, and contribute to the local economy. This measure is intended to establish a regulatory framework that will allow individuals to safely operate a cooking business from their home kitchens while maintaining applicable food safety requirements.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the operator of a microenterprise home kitchen to notify the Department of Health if a person in the operator's home is showing symptoms of acute gastrointestinal illness or a communicable disease that is transmissible through food;

(2) Requiring operators of microenterprise home kitchens and any employees of a microenterprise home kitchen to obtain a food safety manager certificate and food handler certification, respectively;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health & Homelessness and Consumer Protection & Commerce that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1591, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1591, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health & Homelessness and Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________ MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair