STAND. COM. REP. NO. 761

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1250

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 Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1250, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MĀMAKI TEA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to protect Hawaii-grown mamaki tea by:

(1) Imposing labeling requirements for mamaki tea grown in the State; and

(2) Appropriating funds to the Department of Agriculture to administer the mamaki tea labeling requirements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Rancho Aloha Coffee Farm, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that mamaki is a shrub endemic to Hawaii and is a common host plant for caterpillars of the Kamehameha butterfly, the official state insect. Your Committee further finds that the mamaki tea industry is fairly new and would benefit from protections against deceptive or misleading labels. This measure establishes labeling requirements and provides resources to the Department of Agriculture to ensure that labels purporting that all or a portion of the mamaki tea was grown in Hawaii are true and accurate.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1250, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair