STAND. COM. REP. NO 3112

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 97

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 97 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO PROVIDE FOOD SAFETY WORKSHOPS OR CLASSES FOR ALL PERSONS WITH TEMPORARY FOOD ESTABLISHMENT PERMITS, PROVIDE COPIES OF ITS FOOD SAFETY ADMINISTRATIVE RULES TO CONSUMERS AND INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS, AND CONVENE A COTTAGE FOOD BUSINESS WORKING GROUP COMPOSED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND THE COTTAGE FOOD INDUSTRY,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health to:

 

     (1)  Provide food safety workshops or classes on all islands for persons with temporary food establishment permits;

 

     (2)  Provide copies of its food safety administrative rules to consumers and interested stakeholders;

 

     (3)  Convene a Cottage Food Business Working Group composed of representatives from the Department of Health and the cottage food industry; and

 

     (4)  Submit a report of the Cottage Food Business Working Group's findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2015.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Farm Bureau, Local Food Coalition, and two individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Health.

 

     Your Committees find that temporary food establishment permits issued by the Department of Health for cottage food businesses are invaluable for local entrepreneurship and the establishment of a local, sustainable food industry.  Your Committees further find that food safety workshops or classes available on all islands would be beneficial to home cooks who wish to grow their cottage food businesses.  This measure will support public health, as well as the local food movement that has become very popular in Hawaii.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 97, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 97, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair