§26-16 - Department of agriculture.

§26-16 Department of agriculture. (a)
The department of agriculture shall be headed by an executive board to be known
as the board of agriculture.

The board shall consist of ten members:

(1) One who shall be a resident of the county of
Hawaii;

(2) One who shall be a resident of the county of
Maui;

(3) One who shall be a resident of the county of
Kauai;

(4) Four at large;

(5) The chairperson of the board of land and natural
resources, who shall serve as an ex officio voting member;

(6) The director of business, economic development,
and tourism, who shall serve as an ex officio voting member; and

(7) The dean of the University of Hawaii college of
tropical agriculture and human resources, who shall serve as an ex officio
voting member.

The majority of the members of the board shall be
from the agricultural community or the agricultural support sector. The
appointment, tenure, and removal of the members and the filling of vacancies on
the board shall be as provided in section 26-34. The governor shall appoint a
chairperson of the board from the members.

(b) The board may delegate to the chairperson
such duties, powers, and authority, or so much thereof, as may be lawful or
proper for the performance of the functions vested in the board.

The chairperson of the board shall serve in a
full-time capacity. The chairperson shall, in that capacity:

(1) Perform such duties and exercise such powers and
authority, or so much thereof, as may be delegated to the chairperson by the
board; and

(2) Identify problems related to agriculture and the
appropriate state agencies and departments needed to solve the problem. With
the approval of the governor, the designated agencies shall provide any
necessary assistance to the chairperson until the problem is resolved.

(1) Promote the conservation, development, and
utilization of agricultural resources in the State;

(2) Assist the farmers of the State and any others
engaged in agriculture by research projects, dissemination of information, crop
and livestock reporting service, market news service, and any other means of
improving the well-being of those engaged in agriculture and increasing the
productivity of the lands;

(3) Administer the programs of the State relating to
animal husbandry, entomology, farm credit, development and promotion of
agricultural products and markets, and the establishment and enforcement of the
rules on the grading and labeling of agricultural products; and

(4) Administer the aquaculture program under section
141-2.5.

(d) The functions and authority heretofore
exercised by the board of commissioners of agriculture and forestry (except the
management of state parks and the conservation, development, and utilization of
forest resources, including regulatory powers over the forest reserve provided
in Act 234, section 2, Session Laws of Hawaii 1957, and of fish and game
resources transferred to the department of land and natural resources), by the
farm loan board as heretofore constituted, and by the University of Hawaii with
respect to the crop and livestock reporting service and market news service,
are transferred to the department of agriculture established by this chapter.
[L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §22; am L 1961, c 132, §1(f); am L 1963, c 206, §1; am L
1965, c 214, §1 and c 223, §8(c); Supp, §14A-21; am L 1967, c 145, §2; HRS
§26-16; am L 1969, c 4, §1; am L 1973, c 15, §1; am L 1982, c 147, §1; am L
1983, c 12, §1 and c 141, §1; am L 1991, c 135, §1; am L 1995, c 69, §1; am L
1996, c 166, §2; am L 1998, c 176, §4]