The Senate Committee on Higher Education on March 11 deferred House Bill 1185, a proposal to create a plant‑based building materials working group to study how best to grow and develop plant‑based construction materials in Hawai‘i.

Parwinder, a Department of Agriculture representative, said the department "support[s] the intent of this bill" but requested baseline research before forming a larger working group. "We do have a comment that we need to develop some baseline data research so that we can be more informed before we develop a larger working group on this," Parwinder told the committee.

Ted Bolen of the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition and Climate Protectors Hawaii testified in strong support and described economic and climate benefits, noting fast‑growing clumping bamboo and potential hempcrete and biocements as alternatives to timber, steel and cement. "We have an opportunity here in Hawaii to develop a homegrown building materials with plants industry with green jobs in both agriculture and production," Bolen said.

Members questioned whether the university or industry could convene stakeholders without a statutory working group and expressed concern about cost. CTAHR (the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources) was noted by members as an existing research resource. Parwinder estimated an analysis could cost about $150,000 over two years to evaluate candidate crops, marginal lands and policy implications and to produce a final report.

Nut graf: Supporters described potential climate and economic benefits from developing local plant‑based building materials, but committee members questioned whether a legislatively mandated working group — and the bill's proposed appropriation — were necessary given existing research capabilities at UH and industry interest. The committee deferred the bill.

Ending: The bill was deferred from the committee's calendar for further consideration; the transcript records requests for baseline research, a proposed $150,000, two‑year analysis, and debate over whether a working group or university‑led effort is the better next step.