Bill > HCR188

This Concurrent Resolution requests the Legislative Reference Bureau, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Taxation, and the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (a state agency responsible for coordinating disaster response), to conduct a study. The primary goal of this study is to recommend to the Hawaii Legislature how to increase the production of food within the state. The resolution highlights concerns about Hawaii's heavy reliance on imported food, the resulting loss of nutritional value due to long shipping times, and the state's vulnerability to natural disasters that could disrupt food supply lines, noting that Hawaii currently has only about a three-day food supply in such scenarios. The study is specifically asked to explore how general excise tax exemptions could help local food production, how this increased production could diversify Hawaii's economy, and how it could improve food security in the event of a disaster that makes harbors inaccessible. The Legislative Reference Bureau is required to submit its findings and any proposed legislation to the Legislature by a specific date before the 2022 legislative session.