§161-2  Findings and declaration ofnecessity.  It is hereby declared that the poultry industry is a paramountagricultural industry of this State and the production and marketing of poultryis an enterprise that is of significant importance to the economy of the Stateand to the health of the consuming public.  It is essential to the publichealth and welfare of consumers that they be protected by assuring that poultryor poultry products distributed to them are wholesome, not adulterated, andproperly marked, labeled, and packaged.  Unwholesome, adulterated, ormisbranded poultry or poultry products are injurious to the public health andwelfare, destroy markets for wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeledand packaged poultry or poultry products, and result in sundry losses topoultry producers and processors of poultry as well as injury to consumers. The unwholesome, adulterated, mislabeled, or deceptively packaged articles canbe sold at lower prices and compete unfairly with the wholesome, notadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged articles, to the detriment ofconsumers and the public generally.  It is hereby found that regulation by thedepartment of agriculture and cooperation by this State with the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture as contemplated by this chapter is appropriate toprotect the health and welfare of consumers and otherwise to effectuate thepurposes of this chapter.

The 90th Congress enacted Public Law 90-492,entitled "The Wholesome Poultry Products Act", which is nowredesignated as the "Poultry Products Inspection Act".  The PoultryProducts Inspection Act is intended to protect the consuming public fromadulterated or misbranded poultry or poultry products and to assist the statesin their efforts to accomplish this objective.  The Poultry Products InspectionAct authorizes the United States Secretary of Agriculture to furnish financialand related assistance to states for the administration of poultry inspectionprograms which conform to established federal standards up to fifty per cent ofthe estimated total cost of the cooperative program.  Hawaii's poultry industryis not subject to poultry inspection law or rules and regulations that meet theminimum federal requirement in this area.  In order to qualify for thecooperative program, the State must demonstrate "progressive action"by July 18, 1970; and, further, all physical facilities must be upgradedin accordance with the established federal standards by July 18, 1971. Failure to comply with the standards prescribed by the Poultry ProductsInspection Act will result in federal control of the poultry or poultryprocessing industries of the State.  Accordingly, the State of Hawaii deems itto be in the interest of the State's public health and welfare to take suchsteps as are necessary to qualify for federal financial and related assistancefor the administration of a poultry inspection program which conforms tofederal standards prescribed in the Poultry Products Inspection Act. [L 1969, c212, §2; am L 1993, c 92, §1]