STAND. COM. REP. NO. 61-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2585

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committees on Tourism and Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.B. No. 2585 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL TOURISM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish statewide, uniform standards to promote agricultural tourism activities in the State by:

(1) Creating agricultural tourism activity requirements that are applicable to all counties that have adopted an agricultural tourism ordinance;

(2) Requiring agricultural tourism activities to be registered by the county planning department; and

(3) Requiring agricultural tourism activities to coexist with agricultural activity on a farming operation and providing for the termination of agricultural tourism activities upon the cessation of the agricultural activity.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Heavenly Hawaiian Farms; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Hawaii Coffee Growers Association; Greenwell Farms; and four individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Hawaii Tourism Authority; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Grassroot Institute of Hawaii; and two individuals.

Your Committees find that agricultural tourism has become a critical supplemental revenue source to support the economic viability of farms and ranches and that agricultural tourism activities can offer visitors educational experiences that are connected to Hawaii's working lands and promote the sale of local products. Your Committees further find that existing regulation of agricultural tourism in the State is disjointed, as each county has its own agricultural tourism activity permitting processes, standards, procedures, and definitions. These disparate standards can create systemic impediments and exacerbate existing zoning and permitting challenges. Your Committees believe that it is necessary to establish a statewide, uniform standard for permitted agricultural tourism activities to enable Hawaii's agricultural producers to access a vital revenue stream while ensuring the State's agricultural lands are used primarily for agricultural purposes.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a definition for "principal farming operation";

(2) Clarifying that agricultural tourism activities shall not interfere with on-farm operations;

(3) Clarifying that the authorization for agricultural tourism activities will be terminated if the farming operation fails to engage in active agricultural production for a period of sixty consecutive days, with certain exceptions;

(4) Inserting language establishing a process for the termination of authorization for agricultural tourism activities, including a notice requirement, an opportunity for the farming operation to cure, when termination is effective, and the process for reinstatement of authorization for agricultural tourism activities;

(5) Reverting to existing statutory language regulating roadside stands;

(6) Requiring the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to submit a report to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2027;

(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 records of votes of the members of your Committees on Tourism and Agriculture & Food Systems that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2585, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2585, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Tourism and Agriculture & Food Systems,

____________________________ CORY CHUN, Chair

____________________________ ADRIAN K. TAM, Chair