Bill > HB2142

This bill appropriates funds to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture for its meat inspection program, including the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) inspector program supervisor position and three full-time equivalent (3.0 FTE) inspector positions. The purpose is to expand Hawaii's meat inspection capacity to address the increased consumer demand for locally grown beef and the axis deer population explosion in Maui county, as the state's meat inspection program was discontinued in the mid-1990s due to budget and staffing cuts. The bill aims to restore and update the meat inspection program to comply with new federal requirements, meet the needs of the state's diverse livestock industry, and ensure the industry remains a productive part of Hawaii's economic engine.