STAND. COM. REP. NO. 7-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1604

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.B. No. 1604 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for an Agricultural Workforce Housing Working Group within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to address the shortage and challenges of agricultural workforce housing in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

Your Committee finds that the State's agricultural industry faces a significant workforce housing shortage, which is constraining the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector. Farmers and farm employees are experiencing difficulty in securing housing that is affordable and located in proximity to their work because of the limited housing options near agricultural zones. Your Committee further finds that the establishment of the Agricultural Workforce Housing Working Group will help the State examine potential policies and recommend solutions to meet the agricultural industry's need for farmworker housing while also protecting agricultural lands from non-agricultural residential uses.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $250,000 for the Agricultural Workforce Housing Working Group.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1604, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1604, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Housing.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

____________________________

CORY CHUN, Chair