Bill > SR100

This Resolution requests the Department of the Attorney General, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and the Department of Agriculture to collaborate and develop recommendations for a system to protect Hawaii's regional names and symbols from being deceptively used in marketing products that are not actually grown or made in Hawaii. The resolution highlights that Hawaii's reputation for quality products leads consumers to pay more for goods they believe are authentic, but currently, there are insufficient protections against misleading labeling, unlike in other regions like France with its "Champagne" designation or Idaho with its "Idaho" potatoes. The goal is to safeguard the economic interests of local producers and prevent consumer fraud by ensuring that when a product uses a Hawaii name or symbol, it genuinely originates from the state. These departments are tasked with submitting their findings and any proposed legislation to the Legislature by a specific date.