STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3368

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2585

H.D. 3

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts, Agriculture and Environment, and Economic Development and Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 2585, H.D. 3, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent 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 with 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;

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

(5) Require the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to report to the Legislature.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Heavenly Hawaiian Farms; Kauai Coffee Company, LLC; Ola Mahina Gardens; Royal Aloha Coffee Company; Kau Coffee Growers Cooperative; Maui Coffee Association; and eight individuals.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Maui County Ag Working Group, Hala Tree Coffee, and four individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, one member of the Maui County Council, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, and HIMAST Alliance.

Your Committees find that agritourism crucially supports the economic viability of farms and ranches in the State, keeping agricultural lands in production while also providing educational and community benefits. However, your Committees understand that the risk of repurposing agricultural lands primarily for commercial or residential uses under the guise of agritourism must be safeguarded against. This measure will create statewide consistency regarding registration of agricultural tourism activities, facilitating their economic, educational, and communal benefits while ensuring they remain accessory and secondary to bona fide farming operations.

Your Committees acknowledge the concerns raised in testimony that this measure may harm farmers who rely on agritourism to supplement their income from agricultural activities and hinder the flexibility of counties to regulate agritourism in accordance with the unique demands of each county. Your Committees thus believe that a task force to conduct a comprehensive review of the establishment of statewide, uniform standards for agricultural tourism activities would more appropriately address these concerns.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting sections 2 through 12 and inserting language that:

(A) Establishes the Statewide Agricultural Tourism Standards Task Force; and

(B) Requires the Task Force to report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027;

(2) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts, Agriculture and Environment, and Economic Development and Tourism that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2585, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2585, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts, Agriculture and Environment, and Economic Development and Tourism,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair	________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair
	________________________________ LYNN DECOITE, Chair