STAND. COM. REP. NO. 175-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1931

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. 1931 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a State Noxious Weed Coordinator and update the process for designating and managing noxious weeds;

(2) Allow public proposals to add, change, or remove noxious weed designations;

(3) Require notice and public reporting for updates to the noxious weed list;

(4) Clarify the authority of the Department and Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity in regard to the noxious weed list and noxious weed control and eradication;

(5) Authorize updates to the noxious weed list to be adopted by order and classify noxious weeds into categories; and

(6) Strengthen the enforcement and penalties related to noxious weeds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species; Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; Big Island Invasive Species Committee; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

Your Committee finds that invasive plant species continue to pose significant ecological, agricultural, cultural, and economic threats to Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that the State's noxious weed list, maintained by the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, is a critical regulatory tool for identifying and managing invasive plants; however, the noxious weed list has not been updated since 1992. This measure establishes a clear, science-based listing process that allows for public participation and ensures that agencies and land managers have timely, accurate, and current information needed to respond effectively to invasive plant species.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the State Noxious Weed Coordinator shall be designated by the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity;

(2) Allowing any person to submit a proposal to add, change, or remove noxious weed designations at any time during the year, rather than between January 1 and March 31 of each year;

(3) Specifying that all proposals submitted to the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity (Board) ninety days before April 1 of each year shall be accepted by the Board for review;

(4) Requiring the Board to vote on a proposal within one hundred eighty days after April 1;

(5) Moving language regarding the public notification and input on changes to noxious weed designations to section 152-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which relates to the designation of noxious weeds and classes of noxious weeds;

(6) Defining "advisory committee on plants and animals";

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

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

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. 1931, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1931, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

CORY CHUN, Chair