§161-2  Findings and declaration of
necessity.  It is hereby declared that the poultry industry is a paramount
agricultural industry of this State and the production and marketing of poultry
is an enterprise that is of significant importance to the economy of the State
and to the health of the consuming public.  It is essential to the public
health and welfare of consumers that they be protected by assuring that poultry
or poultry products distributed to them are wholesome, not adulterated, and
properly marked, labeled, and packaged.  Unwholesome, adulterated, or
misbranded poultry or poultry products are injurious to the public health and
welfare, destroy markets for wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeled
and packaged poultry or poultry products, and result in sundry losses to
poultry producers and processors of poultry as well as injury to consumers. 
The unwholesome, adulterated, mislabeled, or deceptively packaged articles can
be sold at lower prices and compete unfairly with the wholesome, not
adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged articles, to the detriment of
consumers and the public generally.  It is hereby found that regulation by the
department of agriculture and cooperation by this State with the United States
Department of Agriculture as contemplated by this chapter is appropriate to
protect the health and welfare of consumers and otherwise to effectuate the
purposes of this chapter.



The 90th Congress enacted Public Law 90-492,
entitled "The Wholesome Poultry Products Act", which is now
redesignated as the "Poultry Products Inspection Act".  The Poultry
Products Inspection Act is intended to protect the consuming public from
adulterated or misbranded poultry or poultry products and to assist the states
in their efforts to accomplish this objective.  The Poultry Products Inspection
Act authorizes the United States Secretary of Agriculture to furnish financial
and related assistance to states for the administration of poultry inspection
programs which conform to established federal standards up to fifty per cent of
the estimated total cost of the cooperative program.  Hawaii's poultry industry
is not subject to poultry inspection law or rules and regulations that meet the
minimum federal requirement in this area.  In order to qualify for the
cooperative program, the State must demonstrate "progressive action"
by July 18, 1970; and, further, all physical facilities must be upgraded
in accordance with the established federal standards by July 18, 1971. 
Failure to comply with the standards prescribed by the Poultry Products
Inspection Act will result in federal control of the poultry or poultry
processing industries of the State.  Accordingly, the State of Hawaii deems it
to be in the interest of the State's public health and welfare to take such
steps as are necessary to qualify for federal financial and related assistance
for the administration of a poultry inspection program which conforms to
federal standards prescribed in the Poultry Products Inspection Act. [L 1969, c
212, §2; am L 1993, c 92, §1]