Bill > SB2794

This bill appropriates funds to the Department of Agriculture for a meat inspection program and the costs of meat inspection services, 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 of this bill is to expand Hawaii's meat inspection capacity, which was discontinued in the mid-1990s, to address the increase in consumer demand for locally grown beef and the axis deer population explosion in Maui county. The bill also notes that the appropriation will cause the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024-2025 to be exceeded, but that this is necessary to serve the public interest and meet the needs addressed by the bill.