Bill Text: HI SB1588 | 2023 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relating To Food Safety.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-07-05 - Act 212, 07/05/2023 (Gov. Msg. No. 1315). [SB1588 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2023-SB1588-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1588
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to food safety.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that, according to the Pacific Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments Program, Hawaii is the most geographically isolated state in the country and imports approximately ninety-two per cent of its food.  Each food product imported to Hawaii is a lost opportunity for building economic growth in the agricultural sector, increasing resiliency in the face of future supply chain disruptions, and attaining state goals for local food production, including benchmarks for Hawaii's farm-to-school program, food purchasing by state agencies, and food hubs.

     The United States Department of Agriculture created the GroupGAP program in 2015 to assist small farms with attaining Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)certification.  GroupGAP reduces the cost of food safety certification by spreading the training, technical assistance, and auditing costs between all farms in the group.  Hawaii GroupGAP is the only comprehensive farm food safety training program in Hawaii that results in United States Department of Agriculture harmonized GAP certification, the standard most closely aligned with the Food and Drug Administration's food safety guidelines.

     In recognizing the need for more locally produced food, the legislature passed Act 136, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, which required the department of agriculture to partner with the agricultural community to establish a food safety certification training program, and appropriated funds for the training program.  However, the funds appropriated were directed in full to the University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources, which does not have a United States Department of Agriculture GroupGAP food safety training and certification program.  The legislature finds that in order for a GroupGAP food safety training and certification program to be established, an additional appropriation must be made.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the establishment of a GroupGAP food safety training and certification program.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the department of agriculture to establish and implement, under general administration for agriculture, a GroupGAP food safety training and certification program.

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

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Food and Drug Administration; Food Safety Modernization Act; Certification; Training; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to the Department of Agriculture to establish and implement a GroupGAP food safety training and certification program.

 

 

 

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