STAND. COM. REP. NO. 776-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 2796

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2796 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HONEY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to protect consumers of products produced in whole or in part from Hawaii-produced honey from mislabeled and potentially unwholesome products by:

(1) Mandating disclosure in product labeling and advertising of the specific geographic origins of the contents of the product by weight;

(2) Specifying prohibited advertising and labeling practices;

(3) Requiring recordkeeping to allow enforcement of the law; and

(4) Authorizing the Department of Health to adopt rules to implement the law.

The Source Natural Food Store, C&H Farms, Island Honey, LLC, and several concerned individuals supported this bill. The Department of Agriculture offered comments.

 

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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. 2796, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2796, H.D. 1.

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

 

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair