STAND. COM. REP. NO. 592-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2028

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2028, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LABELING OF PRODUCTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Merge the Made in Hawaii with Aloha branding program with the Hawaii Made program and place both under the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;

(2) Specify that the Department of the Attorney General is responsible for enforcement of the program;

(3) Clarify certain calculations used to determine if a non-perishable good has met the requirements for a "Hawaii Made" or "Made in Hawaii" label; and

(4) Appropriate funds to promote and develop the "Hawaii Made" brand.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Kanalani Ohana Farm and Hawaiʻi Forest Industry Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Agriculture; and Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau.

Your Committee finds that merging the Made in Hawaii with Aloha branding program with the Hawaii Made program will avoid confusion and duplication of efforts to promote the Made in Hawaii brand by two agencies. Your Committee further finds that this measure allows non-perishable goods such as apparel to qualify as "Hawaii Made" or "Made in Hawaii" by including operating and overhead expenses in the statutory threshold calculation, which will enable more local businesses to use these labels.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2028, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2028, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair