STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2410

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2794

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2794 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate an unspecified amount of funds to the Department of Agriculture for:

(1) A meat inspection program; and

(2) Costs for meat inspection services under chapter 159, Hawaii Revised Statutes, including the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) meat inspection program supervisor position and three full-time equivalent (3.0 FTE) meat inspector positions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Maui County Farm Bureau; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the inspection of livestock prior to slaughter is a critical step to ensuring the quality and safety of the State's locally produced meat supply. Your Committee further finds that the State's meat inspection program was discontinued in the mid-1990s and since then, the State has been wholly relying on the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service to perform meat inspection services statewide. Your Committee believes that the restoration of a state meat inspection program will grow local meat production while maintaining food safety standards. Your Committee notes that this measure can also address issues relating to invasive axis deer and wild boars as the expansion of the State's meat processing capacity includes increasing the local supply of wild game meat. This measure will promote the continued growth of the State's livestock industries by establishing meat inspection positions in the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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. 2794, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2794, 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