[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6350090,"mediaKeyId","2234866-7b3285525a304447f8e11fca99d1a6ae","parentId",2234866,"title","Committee roundup: seed bank, controlled-environment agriculture, macadamia labeling, animal measures and wildfire bill advance with varied action","audioSeconds",5239,"startMs",5667000,"endMs",10906000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2234866-7b3285525a304447f8e11fca99d1a6ae&start=5667&end=10906","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2234866-7b3285525a304447f8e11fca99d1a6ae/thumbnail_5667000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6350090/Hawaii/Committee-roundup-seed-bank-controlled-environment-agriculture-macadamia-labeling-animal-measures-and-wildfire-bill-advance-with-varied-action","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6350090-dc5065d42f5fbb9a5efc388c9e2bd063/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161017&Signature=I0nU9WDH7y~-Z17oh8EaetSoUELh~kyTCbg7K4XPsmiqo~zKgS8X8u-q6mb3tVeF6wFUinrp37EnqLtY0h9iAU8y600ggEWF3TOlHqRSmGLKjW-rcMtmLI-k9VqiJ~JUDy2rrlku5k7cLZuZ3p~8QvCH32-jcLLllv7eGyAPIAujT5bjvbCHCxbUXqt1iRWFjgTEg~Bu1IO~6tn2-Sr23RsvYyMCWCJedTKoa0~v7cDBwyr61Wa2c4WpTuzYBdFrh9La92w7IT4P22A4dYWCNY9Tz0yyXuztudRK9oeWNg6rnBkmAtG85FNZphJY~QE3jstKXhxTexqtF5sP1aFO2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems","date","2025-02-01T02:48:06Z","article","During a full-day set of hearings and decision-making on Feb. 5, 2025 the House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems (and the Tourism Committee for two items) advanced multiple bills affecting agriculture, food-systems innovation, animal policy and utility wildfire liability. Key committee actions and votes follow.

HB 13 37 — Endemic plant seed bank pilot (University of Hawaii / CTAHR): The committee passed the measure with amendments and directed the University to assign Cooperative Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) to steward the pilot. The committees noted that Lyon Arboretum and CTAHR already run seed- and propagation-related activities; the committee added technical edits and deferred the effective date to allow coordination. Vote: adopted (Chair and Vice Chair voted aye; Representative Lowen and Representative Peruso also recorded as voting aye; Representatives Quinlan and Ward noted as excused).

HB 11 84 — Controlled-environment agriculture research/demonstration GO bond: Committee recommendation to pass with amendments, recorded GO bond support at $6,000,000 in committee notes. Witnesses (CTAHR/dean) described a combined research-production facility (3,000–5,000 sq ft target) intended to train workers and supply regional kitchens. Vote: adopted with amendments.

HB 11 85 — Plant-based building materials working group: Committee passed with amendments and adopted the Attorney General’s recommended language identifying the measure as a “matter of statewide concern” and adding clarifying language on plant quarantine and stakeholder representation.

HB 5 30 — Macadamia nut labeling: Committee deferred the measure to allow industry-wide coordination on processing capacity and a statewide plan to expand in-state processing. Committee members emphasized support for “Hawaii-first” processing but said it is premature to impose stricter origin/processing labeling while statewide processing capacity is still being developed.

HB 5 47 — Spay/neuter special fund: Committee passed with amendments including a DOTAX suggested check-off option and direction to refine fund administration and equitable distribution to neighbor-island providers; committee asked staff to blank appropriations in the draft and to record budget and finance concerns about long-term administration and host agency. Vote: adopted with amendments.

HB 7 19 — Animal fur products ban: Committee adopted a House Draft 1 with technical amendments and deferred an implementation date to allow further drafting. Testimony was split: the Hawaii Humane Society supported a ban while industry groups including Fur Commission USA, retail trade groups and furriers opposed it. Vote: committee recommendation adopted with amendments.

HB 982 — Wildfire recovery fund & securitization (electric utilities): Committee adopted a set of HECO- and KIUC-proposed amendments and a range of technical edits to narrow securitizable costs to fund contributions, require comparison of commercial insurance options, direct the Public Utilities Commission to hire financial advisers as needed, specify reasonable financing costs, and revise timelines. The committee also lowered the initial customer-funded amount to $500 million with $505 million from shareholders in the draft; it directed in-report questions about fund termination/repayment and required more quantitative justification for initial sizing. Vote: Chair and Vice Chair voted in favor; recommendation adopted. Committee members noted many unresolved policy and oversight questions and flagged long-term implications for ratepayers.

What this means: The committee generally favored moving measures forward while preserving time for stakeholder work and technical drafting. Several bills were amended to reflect existing programs (CTAHR/Lyon Arboretum), to avoid rigid one-size-fits-all thresholds (agritourism and macadamia processing), and to require further study and interagency coordination (seed banking, spay/neuter funding, wildfire securitization). Committees repeatedly requested more quantitative justification where large dollar figures or programmatic allocations were proposed.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","AGR/TOU Joint Public Hearing - Wed Feb 5, 2025 @ 8:45 AM HST","oneSentenceSummary","On Feb. 5 the House Agriculture & Food Systems committee (and tourism for part of the morning) considered a suite of measures. Several bills were passed with amendments, some were deferred for further work, and the wildfire securitization measure advanced with substantive technical changes.","taxTitle","House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, House of Representatives, Legislative , Hawaii","taxId",25707,"location","Hawaii","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6350095,"Joint House committees approve agritourism bills with amendments, delay effective date to continue rulemaking",3054,904000,3958000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2234866-7b3285525a304447f8e11fca99d1a6ae&start=904&end=3958","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2234866-7b3285525a304447f8e11fca99d1a6ae/thumbnail_904000.jpg","/articles/6350095/Hawaii/Joint-House-committees-approve-agritourism-bills-with-amendments-delay-effective-date-to-continue-rulemaking","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6350095-0e1371d02457a02bbe586022233b614c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161017&Signature=dtr6gFpH3CXt-GYfT4X0cCR3JcIrzMj4Bl56qwVpujUpHM2Ltaw3iYZa96OvdbusqCqlKd-VOji-Cjjc5U7UxiGYloGE0Z-63GqZV5RnBW8mltBbVDoKQ0Gnrj-co4iF3i9j~rw8LzKRtDf46m9EZYg79aoeI6gpg0KdRTJqRwZMFgB44FlJn-6cn5u0yCcWr9mmezOpm22GCzBbRME4J9cGcV64S-efhSR0n-TYkTCfnHeNN~~dzCXxf1AhcZkPtk-ldrDwd30BDbHTr78gX82j0C7T4nSCLFQTI7jNVDqLgqei1UjzRGL2-oCHK4CcF6fmJLDfedOZ3K2X9zubyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Committees on Agriculture & Food Systems (Chair Kirsten Kahalua) and Tourism (Chair Adrienne Tam) met Feb. 5, 2025 in a joint hearing to consider two related measures — HB 189 and HB 966 — that would establish statewide standards for agricultural tourism and require counties to set permitting procedures.

The committees passed both measures with amendments and deferred the effective date (the committees used a placeholder date of 07/01/3000) to continue drafting clearer, county-compatible rules.

The bills were written to limit nonagricultural uses on agricultural land and to ensure that agritourism is accessory to bona fide farming. Supporters said clear rules are needed; opponents argued some proposed thresholds would harm working farms.

Kualoa (Kualoa) Ranch director Taylor Kellerman, testifying in opposition, said the bill as drafted risked “a loss of over 350 jobs in our business” and could undermine one of his farm’s steady local food outlets. Nicole Galassi of the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council similarly warned the bills could hurt renters and smaller producers who rely on diversified income. By contrast, Hunter Hevelin of the Hawaii Farmers Union supported the bills’ intent but recommended using existing county agricultural-dedication processes as a threshold for eligibility.

The committees removed several contested provisions in response to testimony. Notable changes adopted in committee action include: removal of specific acreage- and annual-income threshold language; replacing a draft income-cap approach with a requirement that the real property of a working farm or farming operation “is taxed as agricultural and is current on its real property tax obligations” (i.e., county agricultural dedication or equivalent); deletion of a one-year continuity limit; and an explicit exemption for roadside stands or retail activity in enclosed structures under 300 square feet from a building-permit requirement (subject to electric/plumbing permits where applicable). The committees also signaled intent to leave much of the permitting and enforcement detail to counties and to add non-substantive technical edits for clarity and style.

Representatives and staff repeatedly described agritourism as primarily a county, zoning-driven issue and urged local flexibility. Multiple witnesses said acreage and income ratios are impractical as universal tests because farm practices and markets differ across islands and properties. Several witnesses suggested conditional-use or county-level conditional permitting where straightforward thresholds fail.

Outcome: Both HB 189 and HB 966 were adopted by the committees with the technical and substantive amendments described above and with an adjusted implementation timeline to allow further stakeholder work and county-level rulemaking.

What’s next: Committee reports will record the amendments and encourage continued stakeholder engagement (counties, agricultural producers, Department of Agriculture) to refine language on enforcement, eligibility, and definitions of bona fide agriculture before the measures proceed through the legislative process.

","House Agriculture & Food Systems and Tourism committees on Feb. 5 advanced two bills to regulate agritourism, removing acreage and simple income tests and adopting a requirement that farms be zoned and taxed as agricultural. Lawmakers deferred an effective date to allow counties and stakeholders to refine enforcement details.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee roundup: seed bank, controlled-environment agriculture, macadamia labeling, animal measures and wildfire bill advance with varied action

Joint House committees approve agritourism bills with amendments, delay effective date to continue rulemaking