Bill Text: HI HB2065 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

---

Bill Title: DOA; Hawaii Good Agricultural Practices Program; Appropriation

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-19 - (H) Referred to AGR, FIN, referral sheet 3 [HB2065 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-HB2065-Introduced.html

---

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2065
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO HAWAII GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  Hawaii's farms and farmers reflect the heritage and diversity of many cultures and people.  They are the cornerstone of the State's goals for food security, sustainability, and self-sufficiency and are essential for producing local food for local consumption.

     The number of small farms in Hawaii has grown substantially during the last ten years, reflecting a changing agricultural model from plantations to smaller farms with diverse cropping and marketing systems that create new local food sources and significantly increased employment.  There is also a renewed interest in school gardens where children learn economic, scientific, and cultural lessons through an agriculture-based curriculum.

     At the national level, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 authorizes the Food and Drug Administration to develop science- and risk-based criteria for preventing food borne illnesses and encourages states to establish similar intrastate criteria for the safe production, distribution, and consumer handling of food.

     Good agricultural practices focus on science-based guidelines to reduce the potential for food product contamination on farms.  These include guidance for farm practices, such as field management, proper hygiene, water quality for irrigation and produce rinse, agricultural chemicals, and the use of animal manure.

     The legislature finds that the use of existing third party food safety certification audit systems is costly and impractical for many of Hawaii's farmers.  The current food safety procedure:

     (1)  Has reduced farmers' access to local markets, thereby reducing local consumers' access to local produce;

     (2)  Discourages the development of farms that create food sustainability and self-sufficiency for the State; and

     (3)  Undermines government programs that encourage food self sufficiency and economic development.

     The purpose of this Act is to establish a Hawaii good agricultural practices program for farms growing local agricultural food products for local consumption.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 147, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§147-     Hawaii good agricultural practices program.  (a)  There is established the Hawaii good agricultural practices program to be administered by the department of agriculture.  The purpose of the program is to develop and support good agricultural practices for Hawaii farms that grow agricultural food products for consumption by the public.

     (b)  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Hawaii good agricultural practices program shall:

     (1)  Develop science- and risk-based good agricultural practices that reasonably reduce the potential for on-farm food borne illness and include specific considerations and methodologies for farm sizes, practices, techniques, materials, and crops;

     (2)  Develop and implement programs to educate and train Hawaii farmers to use good agricultural practices in a cost-effective and efficient manner;

     (3)  Provide procedures for voluntary verification of on-farm implementation of good agricultural practices and subsequent issuing of state compliance certification; and

     (4)  Develop a consumer information program for publication and broadcast to teach home practices for the treatment and handling of fresh and processed agricultural food products.

     (c)  The department shall consult as necessary with the department of health, the University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources, other state and federal agencies, and small farmer stakeholders to develop and implement the Hawaii good agricultural practices program.

     (d)  The department may adopt rules under chapter 91 to facilitate the implementation of this section."

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $        or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 for the implementation of the Hawaii good agricultural practices program.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2012.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

DOA; Hawaii Good Agricultural Practices Program; Appropriation

 

Description:

Establishes the Hawaii good agricultural practices program.  Makes an appropriation.

 

 

 

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