STAND. COM. REP. NO. 345-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2619

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2619 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMEMADE FOOD PRODUCTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Health to regulate farm kitchens under administrative rules on the same basis as home kitchens producing homemade food products.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Food Industry Association; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Grassroot Institute of Hawaii; Maui Chamber of Commerce; CARES; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that homemade food product operations provide important opportunities for small-scale food producers to participate in local food systems while maintaining public health protections. Your Committee further finds that while the Department of Health has enacted administrative rules to regulate home kitchens and homemade food products, it has not adopted rules to regulate farm kitchens. As a result, agricultural producers in Hawaii face ambiguity in whether they can turn off-grade and excess production into homemade food products that can be sold to consumers. This measure is intended to enable Hawaii's farmers to diversify their revenue streams while maintaining core public health protections.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Department of Health is to adopt rules for the regulation of farm kitchens producing homemade food products that are no more stringent than those for home kitchens producing homemade food products;

(2) Amending the definitions of "home kitchen", "homemade food products", and "farm kitchen";

(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 record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2619, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2619, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair