HI Action Alert - Senate Committee Vote - Support Local Food Sales SB 2888

Tell Senate Committee Members to Vote YES on SB 2888

Support Local Food Sales SB 2888

Senate Bill 2888 (SB 2888), the Hawaii Access to Local Food Act, will have a hearing Friday, February 11 at 1pm before the Senate committees on Agriculture and Environment (AEN) and Health (HTH).

SB 2888 represents a great opportunity to expand the market for locally produced food in Hawaii. Please submit testimony to the committees and/or contact committee members in support of this important legislation.

Hawaii’s current cottage food law only allows direct in-person sales of some non-potentially hazardous foods (i.e., foods not requiring time or temperature control for safety) such as baked goods, jams and jellies. SB 2888 would allow the sale of all non-potentially hazardous and potentially hazardous foods (i.e., foods requiring time and temperature control for safety) made in private home kitchens including some meat and poultry products if those foods are in compliance with federal law. Cottage food operations producing hazardous foods can sell their products on the internet, through an agent or a third-party vendor such as a retail store, and through the mail. Cottage food operations producing potentially hazardous foods can sell their products on the internet but all deliveries must be direct from a cottage food operator to the consumer.

All cottage food operations must obtain a permit from the Hawaii Department of Health and then submit proof of a valid food handlers education certificate for each cottage food operator working for the cottage food business. For cottage food operations selling certain products using preservation methods, there are additional requirements.

ACTION TO TAKE

1. Submit testimony supporting SB 2888 to both committees. The deadline for testimony is 1pm today (2/10/22).

After you have created an account at https://capitol.hawaii.gov/, you can sign-in and go to the bill page for SB 2888 to tap the “Submit Testimony” link and then follow the instructions. You can submit testimony on SB 2888 only ONCE for the Feb. 12th hearing.

SB 2888 Bill page –

https://capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2888&year=2022

2. Contact committee members asking them to vote for SB 2888. Calls are the most effective way to get your message across. It’s especially important to do so if you are a constituent of a member of either committee. A list of members for each committee is included at the end of this email.

You may copy/paste this entire to block to email members of both committees:

You may tap each email address of the committee members or copy/paste the entire to block to email the whole committee:

sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov; sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov; senacasio@capitol.hawaii.gov; senfevella@capitol.hawaii.gov; senrhoads@Capitol.hawaii.gov; senkeohokalole@Capitol.hawaii.gov; senbaker@capitol.hawaii.gov; senmoriwaki@capitol.hawaii.gov; sensanbuenaventura@Capitol.hawaii.gov

TALKING POINTS

1. All 50 states have cottage food laws. The food safety track record for cottage food producers is excellent including for producers in the states whose laws allow the unregulated sale of potentially hazardous foods from producer direct to consumer. The cases of foodborne illness outbreaks being attributed to cottage food producers is almost nonexistent. Some of the healthiest foods available are produced under cottage food laws.

2. Passage of SB 2888 will improve food security in the state; with the increased unreliability of supply chains, it is more important that Hawaii become as self-sufficient in food production as possible.

3. SB 2888 will create more jobs, enable local food producers to make a better living, and keep more of the food dollar within the state.

4. SB 2888 will expand consumer choice in both the types of foods available for sale and the producers selling them; there are rural areas in the state where would-be producers do not have easy access to commercial or certified kitchens.

WAPF will send out further alerts on SB 2888 as events warrant.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

SENATE Agriculture and Environment Committee (AEN) – https://capitol.hawaii.gov/committeepage.aspx?comm=AEN&year=2022

Sen. Mike Gabbard – Chair
Senate District 20
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 201
phone: 808-586-6830
fax: 808-586-6679
sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov

Sen. Clarence K. Nishihara – Vice Chair
Senate District 17
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 214
phone: 808-586-6970
fax: 808-586-6879
sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov

Sen. Laura Clint Acasio

Senate District 1
Hawaii State Capitol
Room: 203
phone: 808-586-6760
fax: 808-586-6689
senacasio@capitol.hawaii.gov

Sen. Kurt Fevella [also on HTH]

Senate District 19
Hawaii State Capitol
Room: 217
phone: 808-586-6360
fax: 808-586-6361
senfevella@capitol.hawaii.gov

Sen. Karl Rhoads

Senate District 13
Hawaii State Capitol
Room: 204
phone: 808-586-6130
fax: 808-586-6131
senrhoads@Capitol.hawaii.gov

SENATE Health Committee (HTH)

– https://capitol.hawaii.gov/committeepage.aspx?comm=HTH&year=2022

Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole – Chair
Senate District 24
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 205
phone: 808-587-7215
fax: 808-587-7220
senkeohokalole@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Rosalyn H. Baker – Vice Chair
Senate District 6
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 230
phone: 808-586-6070
fax: 808-586-6071
senbaker@capitol.hawaii.gov

Sen. Sharon Y. Moriwaki

Senate District 12
Hawaii State Capitol
Room: 223
phone: 808-586-6740
fax: 808-586-6829
senmoriwaki@capitol.hawaii.gov

Sen. Kurt Fevella [also on AEN]

Senate District 19
Hawaii State Capitol
Room: 217
phone: 808-586-6360
fax: 808-586-6361
senfevella@capitol.hawaii.gov

Sen. Joy A. San. Buenaventura

Senate District 2
Hawaii State Capitol
Room: 213
phone: 808-586-6890
fax: 808-586-6899

sensanbuenaventura@Capitol.hawaii.gov

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