STAND. COM. REP. NO. 706-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2585

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2585, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish statewide, uniform standards to promote agricultural tourism activities in the State for all counties that have adopted an agricultural tourism ordinance;

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

(3) Require agricultural tourism activities to coexist with an agricultural activity on a farming operation and to be accessory and secondary to the principal farming operation; and

(4) Establish a process for the termination of an authorization for agricultural tourism activities upon a determination that the agricultural activity has ceased.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy; Heavenly Hawaiian Farms; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; and Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that agricultural tourism can play an important role in supporting the economic viability of farms and ranches while educating residents and visitors about agriculture in Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that agricultural tourism activities must remain accessory and secondary to a bona fide agricultural operation. Agriculture should always be the primary use of agricultural lands, and agricultural tourism should complement, not replace, active farming or ranching. This measure supports these important objectives of the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language establishing a rebuttable presumption that the agricultural tourism activities are secondary to the principal farming operation;

(2) Adding definitions for "agricultural operation" and "secondary to the principal farming operation"; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity's request for reinstatement of provisions in section 205-5(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes, that provide important guidance to the counties for uses within the agricultural district and authorize the counties to further define, by ordinance, accessory agricultural uses and services.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2585, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2585, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair