HB 452 Summary

• Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop and implement a grant program to expand meat processing capacity in Hawaii, including financial assistance to establish new facilities or expand existing ones with donation components.

• Grant program may include collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and Department of Health's Food Safety Branch.

• Grants limited to qualified applicants who have already spent money on expanding meat processing capacity, with individual grants not to exceed a specified amount and costs incurred no more than five years before application.

• Applicants must be licensed or accredited, provide detailed project plans, comply with federal and state discrimination laws, agree to indemnify the state, and maintain records for state monitoring.

• Appropriates unspecified funds from general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to support the grant program.