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HB1497 • 2026

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Agriculture Budget Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
KAHALOA, EVSLIN, LAMOSAO, MATAYOSHI, MORIKAWA
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is unusually set for July 1, 2050, which might delay implementation by several years.

Agriculture Reporting and Staff Changes

This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to create an online tool for reporting restricted use pesticides and converts two temporary staff positions into permanent ones.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Agriculture to develop an online system where people can report their usage of restricted use pesticides.
  • Appropriates funds from the state budget to help the Department of Agriculture build this online reporting tool.
  • Converts two temporary Environmental Health Specialist III positions into permanent ones.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who use restricted use pesticides
  • The Department of Agriculture

Terms To Know

Restricted Use Pesticides
Pesticides that can only be used by people with special training or under the supervision of someone trained.
Environmental Health Specialist III
A type of job at the Department of Agriculture where workers help protect public health and safety from environmental hazards, including pesticide use.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill specifies that only two temporary positions will be converted to permanent ones.
  • The effective date is set for July 1, 2050, which seems unusual as it might delay implementation by several years.

Amendments

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

HD1

1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the Department of Agriculture to develop an online system for reporting restricted use pesticides and converts temporary positions into permanent ones, with funding provided for both initiatives.

  • The Department of Agriculture must create an online tool for users to report their use of restricted use pesticides.
  • Funding is allocated for developing this online reporting system over two fiscal years.
  • Temporary environmental health specialist III positions are converted into permanent ones.
  • The exact amount of funding appropriated is not specified in the amendment text provided.
SD1

3

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the Department of Agriculture to develop an online reporting system for restricted use pesticides and converts some temporary positions into permanent ones, with funding provided for both initiatives.

  • The Department of Agriculture must create an online tool for users to report their usage of restricted use pesticides.
  • Funding is allocated for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to develop the online reporting system.
  • Some temporary Environmental Health Specialist III positions will be converted into permanent ones.
  • The exact amount of funding allocated for each fiscal year is not specified in the amendment text.
  • The number and details of the temporary positions being converted to permanent are unspecified.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-03-13 S

    Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

  3. 2025-03-13 S

    Reported from AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1077) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

  4. 2025-03-10 S

    The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, DeCoite, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Rhoads.

  5. 2025-03-06 S

    The committee(s) on AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-10-25 1:01PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

  6. 2025-03-04 S

    Referred to AEN, WAM.

  7. 2025-02-28 S

    Passed First Reading.

  8. 2025-02-28 S

    Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 79).

  9. 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.

  10. 2025-02-27 H

    Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 878), recommending passage on Third Reading.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. 2025-02-14 H

    Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).

  14. 2025-02-14 H

    Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 642) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

  15. 2025-02-12 H

    The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Kusch, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.

  16. 2025-02-07 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Wednesday, 02-12-25 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  17. 2025-01-27 H

    Referred to AGR, FIN, referral sheet 4

  18. 2025-01-23 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.
DOA; Restricted Use Pesticides; Online Reporting; Position Conversion; Appropriations ($)
Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Agriculture to develop an online reporting tool on restricted use pesticide usage. Appropriates funds to convert an unspecified number of temporary Environmental Health Specialist III positions into permanent positions. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB1497

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1497

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:

PART I

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that Act 45,
Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, codified as section 149A-26, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, requires all users of restricted use pesticides to annually report on
their use of restricted use pesticides to the department of agriculture.

����
The
legislature further finds that to implement this program, the department should
provide users the most efficient and consistent way to report their
information.
�
Thus, all users should be
able to report their information and data online to the department.

����
The
purpose of this part is to establish and appropriate funds for an online
restricted use pesticide reporting system to allow users to report their
restricted use pesticide use directly to the department of agriculture.

����
SECTION
2.
�
The department of agriculture shall develop
an online reporting tool for restricted use pesticide reporting pursuant to
section 149A-26, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

����
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 for the department
of agriculture to develop an online reporting tool for restricted use pesticide
reporting.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the
department of agriculture for the purposes of this part.

PART II

����
SECTION
4.
�
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 convert two
full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) temporary environmental health specialist III
positions (position numbers 123035 and 123036) into two full-time equivalent
(2.0 FTE) permanent environmental health specialist III positions.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the department
of agriculture for the purposes of this part.

PART III

����
SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Restricted
Use Pesticide Reporting; Online; Department of Agriculture; Position Conversion;
Appropriation

Description:

Requires
and appropriates funds for the Department of Agriculture to develop
an
online reporting tool for restricted use pesticide reporting.
�
Appropriates funds to convert temporary
environmental health specialist III positions into permanent positions.

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