HB2548 • 2026

RELATING TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS.

Agriculture Budget

Active

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

Sponsor: NAKAMURA (Introduced by request of another party)
Last action: 2026-03-30
Official status: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS.
DAB; Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Program; Climate Adaptation; Agriculture; Appropriation ($) Establishes the Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.
Appropriates funds.
Effective 7/1/2050.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: HB2548 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB2548 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
2548 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS .

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: HB2548 SD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB2548 SD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
2548 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII S.D.

Bill History

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. 3225) 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.
2026-03-10 S
Referred to AEN, WAM.
2026-03-10 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-10 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 218).
2026-03-06 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso, Sayama excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 930-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-03 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; 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.
2026-02-18 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 none excused (0).
2026-02-18 H
Reported from AGR/EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 383-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-12 H
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Chun, Kusch, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Quinlan.
2026-02-12 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Lowen, Perruso, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Quinlan.
2026-02-10 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR/EEP on Thursday, 02-12-26 10:15AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-03 H
Re-referred to AGR/EEP, FIN, referral sheet 7
2026-02-02 H
Referred to AGR, EEP, FIN, referral sheet 6
2026-01-28 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS.
DAB; Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Program; Climate Adaptation; Agriculture; Appropriation ($)
Establishes the Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2548

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2548

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to sustainable food systems
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 141, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated and to
read as follows:

����
"
�141-
�
Climate-resilient food systems grant
program; established; requirements; rules.
�

(a)
�
There is established a
climate-resilient food systems grant program to be administered by the
department to support climate adaptation, resiliency, and food system
infrastructure in the State.

����
(b)
�
The department shall award grants to
agricultural producers, including farmers and ranchers, and food and resilience
hubs in the State.
�
The grant program
shall provide assistance for applicants to cover the costs of:

����
(1)
�
The acquisition of special-purpose
equipment or technology;

����
(2)
�
Personnel expenses and wages; and

����
(3)
�
Training expenses.

����
(c)
�
Grants shall be awarded on a competitive
basis through a request for applications.

����
(d)
�
An applicant may apply for grants in a form
pursuant to rules adopted by the department; provided that an application shall
include:

����
(1)
�
A description of the purpose for
which grant moneys will be expended;

����
(2)
�
A plan for implementing specific
strategies to expand the production, processing, storage, and distribution of
agricultural products;

����
(3)
�
A description of how the applicant
intends to use the grant for projects that support climate adaptation,
resiliency, food system infrastructure, and the expansion of local agricultural
production; and

����
(4)
�
Any other information that the
department may require.

����
(e)
�
The department shall adopt rules pursuant to
chapter 91 for the purposes of this section.

����
(f)
�
As used in this section:

����
"Department"
means the department of agriculture and biosecurity.

����
"Grant
program" means the climate-resilient food systems grant program.
"

����
SECTION
2.
�
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 the
establishment of the climate-resilient food systems grant program.

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

����
SECTION
3.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION
4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1,
2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DAB;
Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Program; Climate Adaptation; Agriculture;
Appropriation

Description:

Establishes
the Climate-Resilient Food Systems Grant Program within the Department of
Agriculture and Biosecurity.
�

Appropriates funds.

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