STAND. COM. REP. NO. 141

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1351

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1351 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEMP,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to streamline and expand the Department of Agriculture's industrial hemp program by authorizing the Department of Agriculture to:

 

     (1)  Allow temporary inspectors to perform industrial hemp inspections;

 

     (2)  Adopt an alternative method of sampling industrial hemp plants; and

 

     (3)  Deposit fees from inspections by temporary inspectors into the certification services revolving fund.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; We Are One, Inc.; Momilani Farm; and nine individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Agriculture's industrial hemp program only has one employee and needs more staff and resources to expand the program.  Your Committee further finds that existing Department seed certifiers are located on three islands and can also perform inspections for the industrial hemp program.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure gives the Department of Agriculture the needed authority to allow temporary seed inspectors to inspect hemp, deposit inspection fees in the certification services revolving fund, and expand the industrial hemp program in an efficient manner.  Your Committee notes that this measure does not include a fee structure but recommends that inspection fees follow a similar fee structure to that of the Department of Agriculture's seed inspections.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1351 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair