KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair |
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Senator Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Wednesday, January 28, 2026 |
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TIME: |
3:00 PM |
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PLACE: |
Conference Room 224 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
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
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RELATING TO VETERINARY MEDICINE. Requires veterinarians to provide a written prescription, upon the request of a client, for any animal patient of a client with whom the veterinarian has established an existing veterinarian‑client-patient relationship. Allows pharmacies licensed in the State to dispense medications prescribed by veterinarians. Authorizes the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine to establish penalties, which may include fines or suspension or revocation of a license.
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AEN, CPN |
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RELATING TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS. Establishes the Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Appropriates funds.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. Establishes a Clean Plant Program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to support the production, maintenance, and distribution of disease-free, clean plant material to growers, nurseries, and other agricultural producers in the State. Appropriates funds.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL GRANTS. Establishes the Conventional Farming Grant Program to be administered by the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to provide grants to small and midsized farmers who practice conventional farming. Appropriates funds.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to conduct a study of agricultural markets for Hawaii farmers. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds for the one-year study of agricultural markets for Hawaii farmers. Appropriates funds to establish two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions to collect agricultural data and conduct data analysis for public consumption.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Requires the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity to develop and adopt a multi-tiered, matrix-based assessment framework to develop definitions for the terms "bona fide farmer" and "bona fide agricultural activity". Requires the Board to collaborate with stakeholders to draft the terms "bona fide farmer" and "bona fide agricultural activity". Requires a report to the Legislature.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO BEEKEEPING. Clarifies the registration process for beekeepers with the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to provide guidance and support to registered beekeepers to help beekeepers adhere to certain industry standards and best management practices. Establishes a limitation on liability for any registered beekeeper who follows industry standards and best practices. Appropriates funds.
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AEN, WAM/CPN |
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RELATING TO FARM DWELLINGS. Prohibits residing on agricultural park lots unless within a farm dwelling permitted by the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to conduct inspections of agricultural park lots for unpermitted farm dwellings during fiscal year 2026-2027.
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AEN, JDC |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Establishes a Conservation Agriculture and Soil Health Incentive Program within the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission. Requires an annual report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.
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AEN, WAM |
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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 2 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.
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_____________________________________ Senator Mike Gabbard Chair |
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