HB2216 • 2026

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LOANS.

Agriculture Budget

Active

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

Sponsor: NAKAMURA, CHUN, KAHALOA, KUSCH, LOWEN, QUINLAN
Last action: 2026-04-08
Official status: The committee on WAM has deleted the measure from decision making scheduled on 04-09-26 10:55AM; CR 211 & Videoconference.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify when the bill will take effect or provide details about third parties allowed to buy agricultural loans.

Agricultural Loan Changes

This bill allows the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to sell some agricultural loans and increases funding available in the Agricultural Loans Revolving Fund.

What This Bill Does

Allows the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to package and sell a portion of its agricultural loan portfolio to permitted third parties.
Increases the expenditure ceiling for the Agricultural Loan Revolving Fund.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity

Terms To Know

Revolving fund: A special account that uses money from one loan to pay for another, like a piggy bank where you take out coins but put them back.
Loan portfolio: All the loans given by an organization, like a collection of books in a library.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify which third parties are allowed to buy agricultural loans.
It is unclear how selling some loans will affect farmers who need new loans.

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 sell a portion of its agricultural loan portfolio to third parties and increases the expenditure ceiling of the Agricultural Loan Revolving Fund by $10 million.

The department can now package and sell some of its loans to approved third parties, with proceeds going back into the revolving fund.
An additional $10 million is appropriated from the agricultural loan revolving fund for increased lending capacity.

The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears incorrect and may be a placeholder or error in the text provided.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

The department can now package and sell some of its loans to approved third parties, with proceeds going back into the revolving fund.
The amendment raises the spending limit for the agricultural loan revolving fund.

The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect or a placeholder and is not explained further in the provided text.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

The department can now package and sell a part of its loans to approved third parties, with proceeds going back into the revolving fund.
The amendment raises the spending limit for the agricultural loan revolving fund.

The exact amount that can be borrowed from the revolving fund is not specified in the provided text.

Bill History

2026-04-08 S
The committee on WAM has deleted the measure from decision making scheduled on 04-09-26 10:55AM; CR 211 & Videoconference.
2026-04-07 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-09-26 10:55AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-03-30 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-03-30 S
Reported from AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3223) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-03-23 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, Rhoads, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) DeCoite.
2026-03-20 S
The committee(s) on AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-23-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to AEN, WAM.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 380).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Iwamoto voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Cochran voting no (1) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1029-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-03 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. 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; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-27 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Tuesday, 03-03-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-17 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, Lee, M., Poepoe excused (3).
2026-02-17 H
Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 325-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-11 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Perruso, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Lowen, Quinlan.
2026-02-06 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Wednesday, 02-11-26 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-30 H
Referred to AGR, FIN, referral sheet 5
2026-01-28 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-26 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LOANS.
DAB; Agricultural Loans; Sale; Agricultural Loan Revolving Fund Expenditure Ceiling; Appropriation ($)
Authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to package and sell a portion of its agricultural loan portfolio to permitted third parties. Appropriates funds out of the Agricultural Loans Revolving Fund to increase its expenditure ceiling. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2216

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2216

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to agricultural Loans
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that modifications to
the State's agricultural loan programs made by Act 69, Session Laws of Hawaii
2025 (Act 69), have been well received by Hawaii's agricultural community as
demonstrated by the overwhelming number of agricultural loan program
applications received and awarded within the initial two months of Act 69
becoming law.
�
The legislature further
finds that because of the popularity of these program modifications, an
increase to the expenditure ceiling on the agricultural loan revolving fund is
necessary to ensure the department of agriculture and biosecurity can provide
adequate financing to support the State's agricultural producers.

����
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act
is to:

����
(1)
�
Authorize the
department of agriculture and biosecurity to package and sell a portion of its
loan portfolio to permitted third parties; and

����
(2)
�
Increase the
expenditure ceiling for the agricultural loan revolving fund.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Section 155-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

����
"
�155-4
�
Powers and duties of the
department.
�
The department of agriculture
and biosecurity shall have the following powers:

����
(1)
�
Employ a
secretary, who may be exempt from chapter 76, and other full-time and part-time
employees, subject to chapter 76, as are necessary to effectuate the purposes
of this chapter;

����
(2)
�
Designate agents
throughout the State as may be necessary for property appraisal, the
consideration of loan applications, and the supervision of farming operations
of borrowers.
�
The agents may be
compensated for their services at rates the department in its discretion may
fix;

����
(3)
�
Initiate and carry
on a continuing research and education program, utilizing and coordinating the
services and facilities of other government agencies and private lenders to the
maximum, to inform qualified farmers concerning procedures for obtaining loans
and to inform private lenders concerning the advantages of making loans to
qualified farmers;

����
(4)
�
Cooperate with
private and federal government farm loan sources to increase the amount of loan
funds available to qualified farmers in the State;

����
(5)
�
Assist individual
qualified farmers in obtaining loans from other sources.
�
Insofar as available funds and staff permit,
counsel and assist individual farmers in establishing and maintaining proper
records to prove their farming ability for loan purposes;

����
(6)
�
Insure loans made
to qualified farmers and food manufacturers by private lenders under section
155-5;

����
(7)
�
Participate in
loans made to qualified farmers and food manufacturers by private lenders under
section 155-6;

����
(8)
�
Make direct loans
to qualified farmers and food manufacturers under section 155-8;

����
(9)
�
Borrow money for
loan purposes;

���
(10)
�
Assign and sell
mortgages;

���
(11)
�
Hold title to,
maintain, use, manage, operate, sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of personal
and real property acquired by way of foreclosure, voluntary surrender, or
otherwise, to recover moneys loaned;

���
(12)
�
Sue and be sued in
the name of the "State of Hawaii";

���
(13)
�
Exercise
incidental powers as are deemed necessary or requisite to fulfill its duty in
carrying out the purposes of this chapter;

���
(14)
�
Delegate authority
to its chairperson to approve loans, where the requested amount plus any
principal balance on existing loans to the applicant, does not exceed $50,000
of state funds; [
and
]

���
(15)
�
Package and
sell a portion of the loans issued pursuant to this chapter to permitted third
parties; provided that all proceeds from any sale shall be deposited into the
agricultural loan revolving fund to be made available for additional
agricultural loan funding; provided further that the appraised value of the
loans to be sold shall not exceed $10,000,000; and

��
[
(15)
]

(16)
�
Adopt rules
pursuant to chapter 91 necessary for the purpose of this chapter."

����
SECTION
3
.
�
Section 155-14, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

����
"(b)
�
All payments received on account of principal

or for the sale of loans pursuant to section 155-4
shall be credited to
the agricultural loan revolving fund."

����
SECTION 4.
�
There is appropriated out of the agricultural
loan revolving fund the sum of $10,000,000 or so much thereof as may be
necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to increase the expenditure ceiling of the
agricultural loan revolving fund.

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

����
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, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOAB;
Agricultural Loans; Sale; Agricultural Loan Revolving Fund Expenditure Ceiling;
Appropriation

Description:

Authorizes
the
Department
of Agriculture and Biosecurity to package and sell a portion of its
agricultural loan portfolio to permitted third parties.
�
Appropriates funds out of the Agricultural
Loans Revolving Fund to increase its expenditure ceiling.

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