STAND. COM. REP. NO. 585

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1040

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1040, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FARMERS' MARKETS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require all fresh produce sold at farmers' markets to be displayed with a label or sign containing an identity statement declaring the produce's geographic origin.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Farm Bureau and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

 

     Your Committee finds that local farmers' markets are an excellent way to showcase and promote local farms and their products and provide consumers with a venue to purchase local foods.  However, your Committee has heard the concerns that this measure requires vendors to label or display a sign with the geographic origin for every product they sell.  Your Committee understands the concerns that this requirement may be burdensome for vendors who sell multiple products or whose produce varies by crop and season.  Your Committee has also heard the concerns that the federal Country of Origin Labeling program requires fresh produce to be displayed with the country, but not the actual state, of origin.  According to testimony received from the Department of Agriculture, farmers' market vendors may have difficulty obtaining the exact state of origin for imported produce.

 

     Your Committee further finds that this measure is intended to inform consumers whether the produce they purchase at farmers' markets is from Hawaii.  Amendments to this measure are therefore necessary to narrow the label or sign requirements proposed by this measure and ensure that consumers interested in purchasing Hawaii produce at farmer's markets are aware of their options.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring Hawaii fresh produce or items made with Hawaii grown produce sold at farmers' markets to be displayed with a label or sign containing an identity statement declaring the Hawaii produce's county of geographic origin;

 

     (2)  Requiring non-Hawaii produce sold at farmers' markets to be displayed with a label or sign containing an identity statement declaring the non-Hawaii produce "imported";

 

     (3)  Amending the definition of "geographic origin";

 

     (4)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1040, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1040, S.D. 2.

 


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

 

 

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair