STAND. COM. REP. NO. 104

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1142

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 1142 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make a grant, pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to 4Ag Hawaii, a Hawaii non-profit corporation, to expand its outreach and electronic educational initiatives to promote good agricultural practices and to raise awareness of the importance of agriculture and expanding the agricultural industry in Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, the Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, and Alluvion, Inc.

 

     Your Committee finds that 4Ag Hawaii has been successful in promoting sustainable agricultural economic development, and continued monetary support will allow 4Ag Hawaii to expand its initiatives to help the State move toward improved food safety and security. 

 

     Your Committee also finds that as food safety becomes an increasingly important issue, the Department of Agriculture can assist the agriculture industry by providing training, certification, support, and assistance on food safety and security issues.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Establishing a Food Safety and Security Program within the Department of Agriculture;

 

     (2)  Making an appropriation to the Department of Agriculture for the Food Safety and Security Program; and

 

     (3)  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 that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1142, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1142, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair