HB1334 CD1

SECTION 1. Chapter 159, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§159- Further exemptions; food donations; axis deer meat; pilot program. (a) There is established an axis deer meat donation pilot program to allow hunters to donate meat or meat products derived from axis deer to a charitable, religious, or nonprofit organization for the purpose of feeding those in need without regard to this chapter.

(b) This chapter shall not apply to the slaughtering of axis deer or the preparation and transportation of the carcasses, parts thereof, and meat or meat products derived from axis deer at establishments conducting these operations if the articles are exclusively to be donated by a hunter for the use or distribution by a charitable, religious, or nonprofit organization to feed needy persons pursuant to chapter 145D; provided that the meat or meat products derived from axis deer shall not be combined with a meat food product regulated under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, title 21 United States Code section 601 et seq., or a poultry product regulated under the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act, title 21 United States Code section 451 et seq.; provided further that the transportation of the carcasses, parts thereof, and meat or meat products derived from axis deer shall be limited to moving the carcasses, parts thereof, and meat or meat products derived from axis deer to and from the premises where the hunter killed the axis deer; the processing establishment; and the charitable, religious, or nonprofit organization feeding needy persons.

(c) A hunter shall successfully complete a training and certification program established by the department of agriculture and biosecurity, in consultation with the department of health, regarding safe field dressing, disease identification, and proper handling of the carcasses, parts thereof, and meat or meat products derived from axis deer prior to donating meat or meat products derived from axis deer pursuant to this section.

(d) The axis deer meat donation pilot program established pursuant to this section shall be operative on an island with a population over one hundred fifty thousand but less than two hundred thousand; provided that if a recognized outbreak of a known virus, as determined by the department of agriculture and biosecurity, exists in the pilot program location, the pilot program shall not continue until the outbreak is resolved, as determined by the department.

(e) For the purposes of this section, "axis deer" means the species scientifically known as Axis axis."

SECTION 2. Section 145D-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§145D-5 Reserving the State's authority to regulate, inspect, or ban the use of donated food. [~~Nothing in~~] Notwithstanding section 159- , this chapter is not intended to restrict the authority of the department of health or the department of agriculture and biosecurity to regulate, inspect, or ban the use of [~~such~~] donated foods for human consumption."

SECTION 3. Section 159-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

""Meat or meat products derived from axis deer" means any product capable of use as human food which is made wholly or in part from any meat or other portions of the carcass of any axis deer, excepting products that contain meat or other portions of the carcasses only in a relatively small proportion or historically have not been considered by consumers as products of the meat food industry, and that are exempted from the definition as meat products by the board under the conditions as it may prescribe to assure that the meat or other portions of the carcasses contained in the products are not adulterated and that the products are not represented as meat products."

SECTION 4. Section 159-29, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:

"(c) The transportation by commercial carrier of carcasses, parts thereof, or meat or meat products produced without inspection under subsection (a) [is] shall be prohibited, except under permit issued by the board[.] and carcasses, parts thereof, and meat or meat products derived from axis deer that are exempt from this chapter under section 159- ."

SECTION 5. Section 159-34, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) [~~The~~] Notwithstanding section 159- , the preparation, sale, offering for sale, or transportation or receipt for transportation in intrastate commerce of meat and meat products derived from exotic animals, unless inspected and passed as provided for under this part, [is] shall be prohibited. Violators shall be subject to all requirements and penalties of this chapter."

SECTION 6. The department of agriculture and biosecurity and department of health shall jointly submit a report to the legislature on the axis deer meat donation pilot program established pursuant to section 159- , Hawaii Revised Statutes, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session. The report shall include:

(1) An update on the implementation and outcomes of the pilot program;

(2) The number of participating hunters; charitable, religious, or nonprofit organizations; and processing establishments;

(3) Any public health or safety concerns identified;

(4) An assessment of current and future resource needs, including staffing requirements; and

(5) Any other findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation.

SECTION 7. The department of agriculture and biosecurity shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to implement this Act, including rules establishing training, certification, and inspection requirements necessary for the implementation of the axis deer meat donation pilot program established pursuant to section 159- , Hawaii Revised Statutes.

SECTION 8. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that:

(1) Sections 1 through 6 shall take effect on July 1, 2028; and

(2) On June 30, 2033, this Act shall be repealed and sections 145D-5, 159-3, and 159-34, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be reenacted in the form in which they read on the day prior to the effective date of this Act.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1334
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		H.D. 3
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 2
		C.D. 1