Bill Text: HI HCR61 | 2021 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Urging The Department Of Agriculture To Ensure The Inclusion Of Socially Disadvantaged Farmers And Ranchers In The Development, Adoption, Implementation, And Enforcement Of Food And Agriculture Laws, Rules, Policies, And Programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-23 - Report adopted. referred to the committee(s) on CPC as amended in HD 1 with Representative(s) Okimoto voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) McDermott excused (1). [HCR61 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2021-HCR61-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
61 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO ENSURE THE INCLUSION OF SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT, ADOPTION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND ENFORCEMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE LAWS, RULES, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS.
WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes the importance of investing in the long-term prosperity of the State's food and farming system, starting with its farmers; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that historical and ongoing dispossession and deterritorialization have greatly impacted Native Hawaiian access to land and other resources such that structural barriers to farming continue to exist for Native Hawaiians; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature further finds that immigrant farmers and farmers of color have historically not had equitable access to land and other resources necessary to conduct farming in Hawaii, and that legacy of disadvantage persists; and
WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2017 Census of Agriculture, female farmers represent thirty-four percent of all farmers referenced as primary producers in the State, while only twenty-five percent of Hawaii farmers referenced as principal producers are women of color; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature also finds that existing federal agricultural policies have failed to provide sufficient and appropriate technical assistance and financial support, including farmer cooperative creation, for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Agriculture is urged to ensure the inclusion of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of food and agriculture laws, rules, policies, and programs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Agriculture is urged to consider the following:
(1) Including socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in urbanized areas, or areas with a population of at least fifty thousand residents, in accordance with the United States Census Bureau's use of the term;
(2) Consulting with federal, state, and county agencies and departments and all other interested members of the public and private sectors in the State on opportunities for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and to coordinate state programs;
(3) Disseminating information regarding opportunities for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, United States Environmental Protection Agency, United States Government Accountability Office, Office of Management and Budget, and other federal agencies;
(4) Evaluating boards, committees, commissions, and advisory panels dealing with farming and ranching in the State for opportunities to include socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; and
(5) Compiling and reporting data on who receives subsidies and state land leases, and whether these resources are being allocated to socially disadvantaged farmers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in addressing these concerns, the Department of Agriculture is requested to consider the term "socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers" to mean those who have been subject to prejudice based on their race, ethnicity, gender, or immigrant status because of their identity as members of a group and without regard to their individual qualities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these groups include but are not limited to the following:
(1) Native Hawaiians;
(2) Pacific Islanders;
(3) African Americans;
(4) Native Americans;
(5) Alaska Natives;
(6) Hispanics;
(7) Asian Americans; and
(8) Immigrant communities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Agriculture is requested to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2022, on efforts to serve socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and all female farmers and ranchers in the State, along with its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, on how to improve processes to include socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture.
Equity for Farmers and Ranchers; Department of Agriculture
