STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1554

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   S.B. No. 482

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 482, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage beekeeping and honey producing in the State.

 

     More specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Revises the exemption for home-based agricultural producers of honey from the requirement to process honey in a certified honey house or food processing establishment or to obtain a permit from the Department of Health by:

 

(A)  Increasing the maximum volume of honey that the producer may sell to less than five hundred gallons of honey per year;

 

(B)  Adding retail stores that sell honey directly to consumers as other entities to whom home-based agricultural producers of honey may directly sell their honey;

 

(C)  Requiring, on the labels of each honey container, the additional statements, "Honey should not be consumed by infants under one year of age." and "This product has not been inspected by the Department of Health.";

 

(D)  Requiring the producer to attend a Department of Health-approved food safety workshop class and pass the food safety certification examination; and

 

(E)  Requiring the producer to keep records of honey production volume and distribution for two years and make the records available to the Department of Health; and

 

(2)  Exempts the State and counties from liability for claims associated with honey distributed by home-based agricultural producers of honey, except in cases of gross negligence and intentional misconduct by the State or county.

 

     The Department of Health, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, and Maui Natural Bee, LLC, testified in support of this measure.

 

     A concerned individual submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee finds that the bee population nationwide and statewide have declined due to disease and predators.  Your Committee finds that this measure makes beekeeping a more viable and sustainable operation.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 482, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair