HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1544
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  Section 141-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§141-1  Duties in general.  The department of agriculture shall:

     (1)  Gather, compile, and tabulate, from time to time, information and statistics concerning:

         (A)  Entomology and plant pathology: Insects, scales, blights, and diseases injurious or liable to become injurious to trees, plants, or other vegetation, and the ways and means of exterminating pests and diseases already in the State and preventing the introduction of pests and diseases not yet here; and

         (B)  General agriculture:  Fruits, fibres, and useful or ornamental plants and their introduction, development, care, and manufacture or exportation, with a view to introducing, establishing, and fostering new and valuable plants and industries;

     (2)  Encourage and cooperate with the agricultural extension service and agricultural experiment station of the University of Hawaii and all private persons and organizations doing work of an experimental or educational character coming within the scope of the subject matter of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A, and avoid, as far as practicable, duplicating the work of those persons and organizations;

     (3)  Enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, or other transactions with any person, agency, or organization, public or private, as may be necessary in the conduct of the department's business and on such terms as the department may deem appropriate; provided that the department shall not obligate any funds of the State, except the funds that have been appropriated to the department.  Pursuant to cooperative agreement with any authorized federal agency, employees of the cooperative agency may be designated to carry out, on behalf of the State the same as department personnel, specific duties and responsibilities under chapters 141, 142, 150A, and rules adopted pursuant to those chapters, for the effective prosecution of pest control and animal disease control and the regulation of import into the State and intrastate movement of regulated articles;

     (4)  Secure copies of the laws of other states, territories, and countries, and other publications germane to the subject matters of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A, and make laws and publications available for public information and consultation;

     (5)  Provide buildings, grounds, apparatus, and appurtenances necessary for the examination, quarantine, inspection, and fumigation provided for by chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A; for the obtaining, propagation, study, and distribution of beneficial insects, growths, and antidotes for the eradication of insects, blights, scales, or diseases injurious to vegetation of value and for the destruction of injurious vegetation; and for carrying out any other purposes of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A;

     (6)  Formulate and recommend to the governor and legislature additional legislation necessary or desirable for carrying out the purposes of chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A;

     (7)  Publish at the end of each year a report of the expenditures and proceedings of the department and of the results achieved by the department, together with other matters germane to chapters 141, 142, and 144 to 150A and that the department may deem proper;

     (8)  Administer a program of agricultural planning and development, including the formulation and implementation of general and special plans, including but not limited to the functional plan for agriculture; administer the planning, development, and management of the agricultural park program; plan, construct, operate, and maintain the state irrigation water systems; review, interpret, and make recommendations with respect to public policies and actions relating to agricultural land and water use; assist in research, evaluation, development, enhancement, and expansion of local agricultural industries; and serve as liaison with other public agencies and private organizations for the above purposes.  In the foregoing, the department shall act to conserve and protect agricultural lands and irrigation water systems, promote diversified agriculture, increase agricultural self-sufficiency, increase the production of food intended for human consumption that is produced and sold in the State, and ensure the availability of agriculturally suitable lands; and

     (9)  Manage, administer, and exercise control over any public lands, as defined under section 171-2, that are designated important agricultural lands pursuant to section 205-44.5, including but not limited to establishing priorities for the leasing of these public lands within the department's jurisdiction."

     SECTION 2.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

Report Title:

DOA; Local Food Production

 

Description:

Adds increasing the production of food intended for human consumption that is produced and sold in the State to the list of acts that the Department of Agriculture must undertake as part of its statutorily-established responsibility of administering a program of agricultural planning and development.  (SD1)

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.