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: |
Friday, February 13, 2026 |
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TIME: |
3:10 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
The following two bills (SB3012, SB2478) were originally scheduled to be
heard on Monday, February 9, 2026, but due to the severe weather event over the
weekend, the hearing was cancelled. All testimony previously submitted will be
available to the committee and posted on the Legislature's website prior to the
hearing and therefore, does not need to be resubmitted. New testimony will be
accepted.
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RELATING TO STRATEGIC FOOD RESERVES. Establishes the Strategic Food Reserve Program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Establishes purchasing requirements for crops stored at a strategic food reserve. Establishes the Strategic Food Reserves Advisory Committee. Establishes the Agricultural Market Development Grant Program. Establishes the Strategic Food Reserves Program Special Fund. Requires DAB and the Strategic Food Reserves Advisory Committee to submit annual reports to the Legislature, respectively. Establishes a timeline for DAB's implementation of the Strategic Food Reserves Program. Appropriates funds.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Establishes the Hawaii Agricultural Transportation Assistance Program, to consist of a reimbursement program and a grant program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, to assist certain farmers and livestock producers with transportation costs for agricultural products, inputs, supplies, and production and distribution of agricultural commodities. Establishes the Hawaii Agricultural Transportation Assistance Special Fund. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE GENERAL EXCISE TAX. Phases in exemptions of locally produced food from the general excise tax.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Establishes a nonrefundable income tax credit to incentivize significant investment in agricultural production and support the expansion of agricultural crops that take longer to become productive. Sunsets 1/1/2031.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO SUBSISTENCE GARDENING. Establishes within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity a temporary Subsistence-Plus Gardening Pilot Program. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to declare an emergency quarantine when it has been reasonably determined that there is a threat to the environment in the State. Authorizes the Department to halt operations related to or within the affected area for 96 hours, subject to extension by vote of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Authorizes the Department to quarantine any business or other area that is known or reasonably suspected to be infested or infected with any pest or any other prohibited, restricted, or unlisted organism. Authorizes the Department to establish interim rules governing the transportation of any material into and within the state that creates a situation dangerous to public or ecological health.
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AEN, JDC |
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RELATING TO BIOSECURITY. Beginning 1/1/2027, establishes mandatory handling and storage rules for commercial and residential coconut rhinoceros beetle host material to reduce the spread of CRB within infested zones and to prevent spread into non-infested zones.
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AEN, JDC/WAM |
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RELATING TO ANIMAL IMPORTATION. Requires, as a condition of entry into the State, documentation verifying that any dog or cat imported into the State has been surgically sterilized, subject to certain exemptions. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish a breeder registry and adopt rules.
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AEN, JDC/WAM |
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PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE I OF THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT THE INHERENT AND INALIENABLE RIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE TO CLEAN WATER AND AIR, A HEALTHFUL ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE AND HEALTHY NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS AND BEACHES. Proposes a constitutional amendment to ensure that the inherent and inalienable right of the people, including future generations, to clean water and air, a healthful environment and climate and healthy native ecosystems and beaches, shall be protected and shall not be infringed.
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AEN, JDC/WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Establishes the Conservation and Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Pilot Program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Requires a report to the Legislature. Repeals 6/30/28. Appropriates funds.
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO INDUSTRIAL HEMP. Beginning 7/1/2026, authorizes the use of hemp-derived feed ingredients in certain commercial animal feeds. Authorizes the use of hemp and hemp-derived feed ingredients in commercial feed for livestock, contingent on approval by the federal government or Association of American Feed Control Officials. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to adopt rules.
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AEN, CPN |
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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 |