STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1394-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2781

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 2781, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEI,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to convene a working group to gather data and conduct a study of the State's floriculture lei industry.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United; Hawaiian Council; and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that the lei is an important cultural, social, and economic symbol of Hawaii and Native Hawaiian traditions. Your Committee further finds that the rising commercialization of lei and lei materials has increased the use of imported materials and manufactured components that are marketed with Hawaiian language, imagery, and place names, which may mislead consumers and undermine local growers, makers, and cultural practitioners. Your Committee believes that immediate action must be taken to support locally grown and assembled lei and their producers, protect the local floriculture industry, and promote transparency and accountability in the sourcing and labeling of lei and lei materials.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its contents and inserting the contents of H.B. No. 2194, H.D. 2 (Regular Session of 2026), a measure that previously passed out of your Committee on Commerce & Consumer Affairs, which:

(A) Requires and establishes benchmarks for each state executive agency to ensure that a certain percentage of lei purchased by that executive agency consists of lei made entirely of natural objects and plant materials grown, harvested, and assembled in the State;

(B) Establishes labeling requirements for lei and lei materials; and

(C) Requires the disclosure of the geographic origin for the plant materials and natural objects that comprise a lei or lei materials; and

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

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 S.B. No. 2781, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2781, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CORY CHUN, Chair