RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS.

Agriculture Budget

Active

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

Sponsor: CHUN, KAHALOA, KUSCH, LOWEN, MATSUMOTO, PERRUSO
Last action: 2026-03-10
Official status: Referred to AEN/HHS, WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the amount of funding or exact requirements for its use.

Agricultural Land Improvements

This bill allows the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to address survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on non-agricultural park lands with state funding.

What This Bill Does

Gives the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity permission, in coordination with relevant state agencies, to identify and resolve survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on non-agricultural park lands.
Provides money from the state budget for these improvements in fiscal year 2026-2027.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity
Other state agencies working with the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity

Terms To Know

Survey deficiencies: Problems or mistakes in land measurements or boundaries.
Wastewater compliance issues: Problems with how wastewater is treated and disposed of, not following the rules set by law.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify exactly how much money will be provided for these improvements.
It only applies to non-agricultural park lands that were transferred under Act 90 from 2003.

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 Agriculture and Biosecurity to use state funds to fix survey issues and wastewater problems on non-agricultural park lands.

Adds a new section in Chapter 166E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, giving the department authority to address unresolved survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on transferred agricultural lands.
Appropriates money from state revenues for fiscal year 2026-2027 to cover costs related to land surveys, wastewater compliance, and infrastructure improvements.

The amendment specifies that the department can only act if there are available funds and if it is legally permissible.
The effective date of July 1, 3000, seems unusual and may be a placeholder or error in the text provided.

Bill History

2026-03-10 S
Referred to AEN/HHS, WAM.
2026-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 53).
2026-03-05 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-05 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 786-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-02-23 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-19 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Monday, 02-23-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-11 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) Holt excused (1).
2026-02-11 H
Reported from AGR/EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 167-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-06 H
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Chun, Kahaloa, Kusch, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Quinlan.
2026-02-06 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Lowen, Perruso, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Quinlan.
2026-02-03 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR/EEP on Friday, 02-06-26 9:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-26 H
Referred to AGR/EEP, FIN, referral sheet 1
2026-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-22 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS.
DAB; Non-Agricultural Park Lands; Compliance; Survey; Appropriation ($)
Authorizes and provides funding for the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in coordination with relevant state agencies, to identify and, if legally permissible, resolve survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on non-agricultural park lands. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1831

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1831

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to agricultural 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, later codified as chapter 166E, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, allowed various agricultural lands to be transferred by the
department of land and natural resources to what is now the department of
agriculture and biosecurity.
�
Since then,
tens of thousands of acres have been transferred and are now administered by
the department of agriculture and biosecurity under various leases.

����
The
legislature further finds that the current lessees of the transferred lands received
lands with unresolved survey issues and noncompliant cesspools or other wastewater
systems that they did not create.
�
These
legacy conditions have created regulatory uncertainty, limited lessees' access
to financing and permits, and constrained agricultural use of otherwise
productive lands.
�
Addressing these
barriers will help allow agricultural lands already in the State's inventory to
be fully utilized for food production.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to provide the department of agriculture and
biosecurity with the authority and moneys to address long-standing survey
deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on lands transferred pursuant to
Act 90, Session Laws of Hawaii 2003.

����
SECTION
2.
�
Chapter 166E, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and
to read as follows:

����
"
�166E-
�
�
��
Survey; wastewater; infrastructure.
�
Subject to available funds, the department, in coordination with relevant
state agencies, shall identify and resolve survey deficiencies and wastewater
compliance issues, including unresolved cesspool assessments, unresolved remediation
requirements, and any necessary equipment and infrastructure replacement, on
non‑agricultural park lands.
"

����
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 2026-2027 for land surveys, wastewater compliance, and other
costs to support the agricultural use of non-agricultural park lands.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture and biosecurity
for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION
4.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DAB;
Non-Agricultural Park Lands; Compliance; Survey; Appropriation

Description:

Authorizes
and provides funding for the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in
coordination with relevant state agencies, to identify and resolve survey
deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on non-agricultural park lands.
�
Appropriates moneys.

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