RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Agriculture Budget

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: KUSCH, AMATO, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, LEE, M., LOWEN, MARTEN, MIYAKE, PERRUSO, POEPOE, SOUZA, TARNAS, TODD
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: Re-Referred to EDU, WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify the exact amount of funding provided for the working group.

Plant-Based Building Materials Study Group

This bill establishes a working group to study plant-based building materials in Hawaii, including funding for the group's activities.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a Plant-based Building Materials Working Group within the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
Appoints members from various fields such as agriculture, climate change mitigation, and construction to join the working group.
Requires the working group to submit an interim report by 2026 and a final report with recommendations by 2027.
Provides funding for the working group's activities in fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

Who It Names or Affects

The University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
Experts appointed to the Plant-based Building Materials Working Group

Terms To Know

Plant-based building materials: Building materials made from plants, such as bamboo or hempcrete.
Net negative carbon goals: Aims to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by more than what is emitted.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact amount of funding provided for the working group.
It is unclear if and when the recommendations from the final report will be implemented into law.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment establishes a working group at the University of Hawaii to study plant-based building materials, including bamboo and hempcrete, and recommends ways to grow plants and develop these materials in Hawaii.

Establishes a Plant-Based Building Materials Working Group within the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience.
Appoints members with expertise in plant-based building materials, agriculture, and climate change mitigation.
Requires the working group to submit interim and final reports on their findings and recommendations.
Allocates funds from state general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

The exact amount of funding appropriated is not specified in the amendment text.
The working group will dissolve on June 30, 2027, after submitting its final report.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Establishes a Plant-Based Building Materials Working Group within the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience.
Appoints members with expertise in plant-based building materials, agriculture, and climate change mitigation.
Requires the working group to submit interim and final reports on their findings and recommendations.

The exact amount of funds appropriated for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) appears to be an error or placeholder.

Bill History

2026-02-02 S
Re-Referred to EDU, WAM.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-11 S
The committee on HRE deferred the measure.
2025-03-07 S
The committee(s) on HRE has scheduled a public hearing on 03-11-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2025-03-04 S
Referred to HRE, WAM.
2025-02-28 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-02-28 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 71).
2025-02-27 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-27 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 876), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-20 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Alcos, Ward.
2025-02-18 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Thursday, 02-20-25 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-13 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kitagawa, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-13 H
Reported from HED (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 610) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.
2025-02-12 H
The committee on HED recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Garrett, Amato, Evslin, Kapela, Kila, La Chica, Olds, Woodson, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Sayama.
2025-02-07 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HED on Wednesday, 02-12-25 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-06 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on HED with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Ward excused (1).
2025-02-06 H
Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 233) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to HED.
2025-02-05 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Kusch, Lowen, Perruso; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Quinlan, Ward.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Wednesday, 02-05-25 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-28 H
Re-referred to AGR, HED, FIN, referral sheet 7
2025-01-27 H
Referred to HED, FIN, referral sheet 4
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-22 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.
UHCTAHR; Plant-based Building Materials Working Group; Appropriation ($)
Establishes a Plant-based Building Materials Working Group to study and report on how best to grow plants and develop plant-based building materials in Hawaii. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1185

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1185

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to agriculture
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that Hawaii's
climate, with a year-round growing season and ample rain in many areas, offers
several potential advantages for growing plant-based materials that can be
processed into structural building materials.
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For example, there are types of clumping bamboo that can grow very
rapidly with sufficient water; be processed into building materials that are
stronger, more flexible, and lighter than timber or steel; and be made more
fire- and termite-resistant than wood.
�
For
example, "hempcrete", developed from industrial hemp, can substitute
for building blocks, while "biocements", produced from cyanobacteria
(blue-green algae or "pond scum"), can substitute for Portland
cement.

����
The
legislature further finds that these and other plant-based building materials
could also attract green agricultural jobs to Hawaii.
�
The legislature also finds that the use of plant-based
building materials could help the State meet its
net
negative carbon and greenhouse gas goals
because they sequester carbon,
whereas the production of traditional building materials, such as timber,
steel, and cement, emit very large amounts of greenhouse gases.

����
Therefore,
the purpose of this Act is to establish and appropriate funds for a working
group to study and report on how best to grow plants and develop plant-based
building materials in Hawaii.

����
SECTION
2.
�
(a)
�

There is established within the university of Hawaii at Manoa college of
tropical agriculture and human resources a plant-based building materials
working group to study and report on how best to grow plants and develop
plant-based building materials in Hawaii, including for the provision of green
agricultural jobs in Hawaii and the sequestration of carbon and greenhouse
gases to help the State meet its net negative carbon and greenhouse gas goals.

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(b)
�
The working group shall consist of the
following members:

����
(1)
�
The dean and director for research and
cooperative extension of the university of Hawaii, or the dean and director's
designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the working group;

����
(2)
�
The director of the university of Hawaii at
Hilo college of agriculture, forestry, and natural resource management, or the
director's designee;

����
(3)
�
The chairperson of the board of agriculture,
or the chairperson's designee;

����
(4)
�
The coordinator of the Hawaii climate change
mitigation and adaptation commission;

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(5)
�
Four individuals who have expertise in growing
or producing plant-based building materials, to be invited by the chairperson
of the working group;

����
(6)
�
An expert in building materials, to be invited
by the chairperson of the working group, in consultation with the General
Contractors Association of Hawaii; and

����
(7)
�
Additional members with appropriate
specialized expertise, as recommended by the members of the working group and at
the discretion of and to be invited by the chairperson of the working group.

����
(c)
�
Members of the working group shall serve
without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred
in the performance of their duties, including travel expenses.
�

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(d)
�
The working group shall submit to the
legislature:

����
(1)
�
An interim report regarding the progress of
its work no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular
session of 2026; and

����
(2)
�
A final report of its findings and
recommendations, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior
to the convening of the regular session of 2027.

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(e)
�
The working group shall be dissolved on June
30, 2027.

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of
$ or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to support the work
of the plant-based building materials working group established pursuant to
section 2 of this Act.

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The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the university
of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

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SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

UHCTAHR; Plant-based
Building Materials Working Group; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes
a Plant-based Building Materials Working Group to study and report on how best
to grow plants and develop plant-based building materials in Hawaii.
�
Appropriates funds.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.