HB1323 • 2026

RELATING TO THE TRANSFER OF NON-AGRICULTURAL PARK LANDS.

Agriculture

Active

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

Sponsor: HASHEM
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text indicates that the effective date is July 1, 2025, but this conflicts with the official status explanation which does not specify an effective date.

Rules for Transferring Non-Agricultural Park Lands

This bill allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to transfer certain public lands designated for agricultural use to the Department of Agriculture without needing approval from other boards.

What This Bill Does

Allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to transfer specific public lands for agricultural use to the Department of Agriculture (DOA).
Requires the DOA to accept these transfers after getting approval from the Board of Agriculture.
Specifies that only certain types of non-agricultural park lands can be transferred, such as those designated for intensive agriculture or livestock use.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Land and Natural Resources
The Department of Agriculture

Terms To Know

Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR): A government agency responsible for managing public lands, including parks.
Department of Agriculture (DOA): A government agency that oversees agricultural activities and land use.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens to the transferred lands if they are not suitable for agriculture.
It is unclear how many non-agricultural park lands will actually be transferred under this new rule.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to transfer certain public lands used for agriculture to the Department of Agriculture, with approval from the Board of Agriculture.

Removes the requirement for mutual agreement between departments and approval by both boards (Board of Agriculture and Board of Land and Natural Resources) before transferring non-agricultural park lands.
Requires the Department of Agriculture to accept and manage certain qualifying non-agricultural park lands upon approval from the Board of Agriculture.

The amendment text does not specify which lands qualify for transfer, leaving this detail unclear.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-14 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Amato voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-14 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 714), recommending referral to JHA.
2025-02-13 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Ichiyama, Morikawa, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Poepoe, Woodson.
2025-02-10 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Thursday, 02-13-25 9:30AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-04 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with Representative(s) Amato, Lowen, Perruso voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kong, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-04 H
Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 86) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
2025-01-31 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Kusch, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.
2025-01-28 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Friday, 01-31-25 10:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-27 H
Referred to AGR, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 4
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-22 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE TRANSFER OF NON-AGRICULTURAL PARK LANDS.
Department of Agriculture; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Non-agricultural Park Lands; Transfer
Allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to transfer certain public lands for agricultural use to the Department of Agriculture without approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Board of Agriculture. Requires the Department of Agriculture, upon approval of the Board of Agriculture, to accept the transfer of and manage certain qualifying non-agricultural park lands. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1323

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1323

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the transfer of non-agricultural park lands
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that Act 90,
Session Laws of Hawaii 2003 (Act 90), was enacted to transfer certain
non-agricultural park lands from the department of land and natural resources
to the department of agriculture.

����
The legislature
further
finds that Act 139, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, established a working group to
determine the process, status, challenges, and potential remedies regarding the
transfer of non-agricultural park lands to fulfill the purposes of Act 90.
�
A key finding of the working group is that
lands under the department of land and natural resources used for the primary
and substantial management objective of agricultural production should be
transferred to the department of agriculture, following the processes and
conditions pursuant to Act 90.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to
require the department of
agriculture to

accept the transfer of and manage certain qualifying non-agricultural park
lands
.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 166E-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

����
"
[
[
]�166E-1[
]
]
�
Legislative findings.
�

The legislature finds that article XI, section 10, of the [
state
constitution
]
Hawaii State Constitution
establishes that "the
public lands shall be used for the development of farm and [
homeownership
]

home ownership
on as widespread a basis as possible, in accordance with
procedures and limitations prescribed by law."

����
Therefore, the legislature finds that
certain public lands classified for agricultural use
, including all lands designated as intensive agricultural use,
special livestock use, and pasture use under section 171-10(1), (2), and (3),
by the department of land and
natural resources should be transferred to the department of agriculture[
,
with the approval of the board of land and natural resources and the board of
agriculture,
] for purposes and in a manner consistent with article XI,
section 10, of the [
state constitution.
]
Hawaii State Constitution.

����
The purpose of this chapter is to ensure
the long-term productive use of public lands leased or available to be leased
by the department of land and natural resources for agricultural purposes
,
including pasture use,
by allowing these lands to be transferred to and managed
by the department of agriculture.
"

����
SECTION
3
.
�
Section 166E-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

����
"(a)
�
Upon [
mutual agreement and
] approval
of the board [
and the board of land and natural resources
]:

����
(1)
�
The department [
may
]
shall

accept the transfer of and manage certain qualifying non-agricultural park
lands[
;
]
, subject to the suitability of the land for agricultural
activities and use as determined by the board;
and

����
(2)
�
Certain assets, including position counts,
related to the management of existing encumbered and unencumbered
non-agricultural park lands and related facilities shall be transferred to the
department[
.
]
;

provided that designated conservation lands not
in current agricultural use shall remain under the jurisdiction of the
department of land and natural resources.
"

����
SECTION
4.
�
This Act does not affect rights and
duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were
begun before its effective date.

����
SECTION
5.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 6.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Agriculture; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Non-agricultural Park
Lands; Transfer

Description:

Requires the Department of Agriculture to accept the
transfer of and manage certain qualifying non-agricultural park lands.

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