KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
|
Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair |
|
Senator Herbert M. "Tim"
Richards, III, Vice Chair |
|
Senator Chris Lee, Chair |
|
Senator Lorraine R. Inouye, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF HEARING
|
DATE: |
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 |
|
TIME: |
3:00 PM |
|
PLACE: |
Conference Room 224 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
|
TIMESLOT: |
AEN |
PHOTO ID
REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL
BUILDING
HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY
The Legislature is accepting written,
videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.
A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee
meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.
A G E N D A
|
RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES. Requires each lease that the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity
enters into, renews, or extends to include provisions stating that the
Department may: (1) enter the leased premises; (2) order or otherwise require
the lessee to maintain control of any invasive species on the leased
premises; and (3) terminate the lease for refusal or violation. |
AEN/WLA, JDC |
|
|
RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES. Appropriates funds for the removal of overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream. |
AEN/WLA, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO TREES. Establishes base selection criteria for exceptional trees. Establishes the significant tree
designation, selection criteria, and related processes. Establishes the State Arborist Advisory
Committee within the Department of Land and Natural Resources for
administrative purposes. Requires
County Arborist Advisory Committees to have at least six members, adopt new
exceptional tree selection criteria, and designate significant trees. Directs the Department of Land and Natural
Resources and the University of Hawaii to cooperate with State and County
Arborist Advisory Committees to carry out the Exceptional Trees Program. |
AEN/WLA, JDC |
|
|
RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. Allows the Department of Land and Natural
Resources to contract or form a partnership with private parties to assist
with the maintenance and management of sunscreen dispensers at all state
beaches, as well as publicize that the mineral-based sunscreen in these
dispensers is more protective of the coral reefs of the State. Appropriates funds for the installation,
maintenance, management, and operation of non-chemical sunscreen dispensers
on all state beaches. |
AEN/WLA, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Beginning 1/1/2027, requires the payment of
an Agricultural Land Conversion Fee by the buyer or lessee in a transaction
for any agricultural land that will be converted from agricultural production
for certain purposes. Establishes the
Agricultural Land Conversion Fee Fund to, among other things, support the
Health Soils Program. Requires all
state lands used in the commercial production of
agricultural commodities, including any lands under lease agreements with the
Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, to use an established metric to
advance the adoption of conservation practices. |
AEN/WLA, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO COCONUT TREES. Establishes recognition of coconut trees as a source of food and
water, and as a cultural treasure.
Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish
rules to allow the use of coconut tree seed banks in the State. Requires owners or operators of property
where any coconut tree is located to post and maintain a sign that clearly
indicates that the coconut tree is a landscape palm, when applicable. Requires the Department of Agriculture and
Biosecurity to establish labeling standards for non-consumable landscape
palms. Establishes an income tax
credit for consumable coconut trees maintained through natural management
practices. |
AEN/WLA, WAM/CPN |
|
|
RELATING TO ECOSYSTEM RIGHTS. Recognizes watersheds and coral reef ecosystems as legal persons with inherent and inalienable rights to exist,
flourish, and naturally evolve.
Establishes enforceable ecosystem rights grounded in public trust
doctrine and Native Hawaiian customary stewardship. Authorizes citizen enforcement, restorative
and injunctive remedies, civil penalties, and continuing duties of ecological
repair, including for historic harms.
Provides for open representation, community consultation,
co-governance, and supremacy over conflicting laws. |
AEN/WLA, JDC |
|
|
|
|
|
Decision Making to follow, if time permits.
All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i
Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include
private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.
Please go to the Legislature's
website, https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written
testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the
website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the
"Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit
Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony,
you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the
hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.
Please note the following:
·
The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted
to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the
committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who
requests to testify orally.
·
Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 1 minutes each.
If you wish to testify via
videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions
for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a
direct link to the instructions: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf
For general help navigating the committee hearing process,
please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also visit
their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.
For special assistance: The cable TV
broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other
accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the
telephone number listed below or email
AENcommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being
fulfilled.
For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and
measures that have been added are underscored.
If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has
been deleted from the agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE
COMMITTEE CLERK AT 808-586-6830.
|
_____________________________________ Senator Chris
Lee Chair |
|
_____________________________________ Senator Mike
Gabbard Chair |