HB1603 • 2026

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL PARK LEASES.

Agriculture Land

Active

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

Sponsor: CHUN, KAHALOA, LOWEN, MATSUMOTO, PERRUSO, QUINLAN, Kusch
Last action: 2026-04-01
Official status: The committee on JDC deferred the measure.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information about the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity extending leases without considering population limits or changing other rules about lease extensions such as size and location within twenty-five acres.

Changes to Agricultural Park Lease Rules

This bill removes a requirement that limits where agricultural park leases with fifteen years or less remaining can be extended in Hawaii.

What This Bill Does

Removes the requirement for land covered by an agricultural park lease with a remaining term of fifteen years or less to be located in a county having a population of less than five hundred thousand.

Who It Names or Affects

Farmers or landowners with agricultural park leases in Hawaii.
The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity in Hawaii.

Terms To Know

Agricultural Park Lease: An agreement that allows the use of land for farming purposes within an area designated as an agricultural park.
Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity: The government agency responsible for managing agriculture, biosecurity, and related issues in Hawaii.

Limits and Unknowns

This bill only affects leases with fifteen years or less remaining.
It does not change other rules about lease extensions such as size limits.
The changes will take effect on July 1, 2050.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment changes the conditions under which an agricultural park lease can be extended by removing the requirement that the land must be located in a county with less than 500,000 residents.

Removes the population limit condition for counties where agricultural park leases can be extended.
Allows lease extensions of up to thirty years if the remaining term is fifteen years or less and the land area is twenty-five acres or less.

The amendment's effective date of July 1, 3000, seems unusual and may be a placeholder or error.
It does not specify what happens if the lease term exceeds fifteen years.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment changes a rule about extending leases for agricultural parks in Hawaii, removing the requirement that the land must be located in a county with less than 500,000 people.

Removes the condition that an agricultural park lease can only be extended if it is located in a county with fewer than 500,000 residents.

The amendment text does not specify other conditions or limits for extending leases beyond the population requirement.
It's unclear what criteria will now determine lease extensions after this change.

Bill History

2026-04-01 S
The committee on JDC deferred the measure.
2026-03-30 S
The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 04-01-26 10:40AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
2026-03-24 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC.
2026-03-24 S
Reported from AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3150) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.
2026-03-16 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, Rhoads; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Awa.
2026-03-13 S
The committee(s) on AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-16-26 3:05PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to AEN, JDC.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 250).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kong, Pierick excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1105-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-05 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Cochran, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Hashem, Sayama.
2026-03-03 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 03-05-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-19 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-19 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 537-26), recommending referral to JHA.
2026-02-17 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Morikawa, Belatti, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Poepoe.
2026-02-11 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Tuesday, 02-17-26 9:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-04 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kitagawa excused (1).
2026-02-04 H
Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 6-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
2026-01-30 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-01-27 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Friday, 01-30-26 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-26 H
Referred to AGR, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 1
2026-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-16 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL PARK LEASES.
DAB; Agricultural Parks; Lease Extensions
Repeals the requirement for land covered by an agricultural park lease with a remaining term of fifteen years or less to be located in a county having a population of less than five hundred thousand in order for the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to extend the lease. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1603

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1603

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating
to Agricultural Park Leases
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 166-11,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (e) to read as
follows:

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"
(e)
�
Notwithstanding any other law to the
contrary, if any lessee holds a lease having a remaining term of fifteen years
or less, the department may extend the term of the lease for an additional
thirty years; provided that the land covered by the lease is[
:

����
(1)
�
Twenty-five
]

twenty-five
acres or less[
; and

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(2)
�
Located in a
county having a population of less than five hundred thousand
]."

����
SECTION
2.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Agricultural
Parks; Lease Extensions

Description:

Repeals the
requirement for land covered by an agricultural park lease with a remaining
term of fifteen years or less to be located in a county having a population of
less than five hundred thousand in order for the Department of Agriculture and
Biosecurity to extend the lease.

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