RELATING TO FISHPONDS.

Budget

Active

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

Sponsor: POEPOE, AMATO, CHUN, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KILA, KITAGAWA, MARTEN, MIYAKE, PERRUSO, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TARNAS, TODD
Last action: 2026-04-17
Official status: Re-Referred to WLA/EDU, WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide details on how the inventory will be used after completion.

Creating a Fishpond Inventory

This bill establishes a working group within the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program to create an inventory and map of all state-owned fishponds, and provides funding for this project.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a working group within the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program to create an inventory of all state-owned fishponds.
The working group will gather information about each fishpond's traditional name, type, size, location, condition, historical uses, and surrounding land use.
The group must also make a map of all state-owned fishponds and conduct a literature review to help with the inventory.
Appropriates $250,000 from the state budget for two fiscal years (2025-2026 and 2026-2027) to fund this project.

Who It Names or Affects

The University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program
State agencies involved in land management and conservation

Terms To Know

Fishponds (Loko iʻa): Traditional Hawaiian fishponds that are important for cultural, ecological, and food security reasons.
Working Group: A team of people brought together to complete a specific task or project.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the inventory will be used after it is completed.
It only funds the project for two fiscal years, and no further funding is guaranteed beyond that time.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment establishes a working group within the University of Hawaii Sea Grant Program to create an inventory and map of all fishponds on state land, along with a literature review.

Establishes a fishpond inventory working group within the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program.
Requires the working group to compile detailed information about each fishpond, including its traditional name, type, acreage, and historical condition.
Directs the working group to create a map of all state-owned fishponds and conduct a literature review.
Appropriates funds for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to support these activities.

The amendment specifies an effective date of July 1, 3000, which seems incorrect or a placeholder.
Details on the exact amount of funds appropriated are not provided in the text.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Establishes a fishpond inventory working group within the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program.
Requires the working group to compile detailed information about each fishpond, including its traditional name, type, acreage, and historical condition.
Directs the working group to create a map of all state-owned fishponds and conduct a literature review.
Appropriates funds for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to support these activities.

The exact amount of funding appropriated is not specified in the amendment text provided.

Bill History

2026-04-17 S
Re-Referred to WLA/EDU, WAM.
2026-04-02 S
Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
2026-04-01 H
House Conferee(s) discharged.
2026-03-20 H
Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 409).
2026-03-20 S
Senate Conferee(s) discharged.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-04-17 H
Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Monday, 04-21-25 10:00AM in conference room 229.
2025-04-15 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 790).
2025-04-15 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: Inouye Chair; Kim, DeCoite Co-Chairs; DeCorte.
2025-04-15 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 732).
2025-04-14 H
House Conferees Appointed: Hashem, Garrett, Lamosao Co-Chairs; Shimizu.
2025-04-11 S
Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 704).
2025-04-10 H
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
2025-04-08 H
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 618) in amended form (SD 1).
2025-04-08 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2025-04-04 S
48 Hrs. Notice 04-08-25.
2025-04-04 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1832) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 1).
2025-04-04 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 12 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C..
2025-04-02 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-04-25 10:46AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2025-03-21 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading and referred to WAM.
2025-03-21 S
Reported from WTL/HRE (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1281) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading and referral to WAM.
2025-03-18 S
The committee(s) on HRE recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in HRE were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Kidani, Hashimoto, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fukunaga.
2025-03-18 S
The committee(s) on WTL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WTL were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Elefante, Chang, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) McKelvey.
2025-03-13 S
The committee(s) on WTL/HRE has scheduled a public hearing on 03-18-25 3:15PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2025-03-11 S
Re-Referred to WTL/HRE, WAM.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to HRE/WTL, WAM.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 210).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1150), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-24 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, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Alcos, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hussey, Ward.
2025-02-21 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Monday, 02-24-25 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-10 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran, Kila, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-10 H
Reported from HED (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 294), recommending referral to FIN.
2025-02-05 H
The committee on HED recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 11 Ayes: Representative(s) Garrett, Amato, Evslin, Kapela, Kila, La Chica, Olds, Sayama, Woodson, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HED on Wednesday, 02-05-25 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-30 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on HED with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-01-30 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 16) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to HED.
2025-01-28 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Poepoe, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Woodson.
2025-01-24 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Tuesday, 01-28-25 9:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to WAL, HED, FIN, referral sheet 1
2025-01-17 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-16 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO FISHPONDS.
UH; Fishponds; Working Group; Inventory; Appropriation ($)
Establishes a fishpond inventory working group within the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program to create an inventory and map of all fishponds on state land and conduct a literature review. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB309

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

309

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
to fishponds
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that before Western
contact, researchers estimate that there were approximately four hundred
eighty-eight loko i
ʻ
a
(fishponds) in Hawaii.
�
An inventory
conducted in 1901 found around three hundred sixty loko i
ʻ
a across the State,
with about ninety-nine of them in active use at the time.

����
Over the
past two centuries, a range of factors, including changes in economic and
social systems, land use and development, tsunamis, sedimentation, climate
change, and the introduction of invasive species, have impacted loko i
ʻ
a to varying
degrees.
�
While some loko i
ʻ
a remain relatively
intact, others have fallen into disrepair, are in ruins, or have been destroyed
to make way for development.

����
In recent
years, a statewide movement to restore and revitalize fishponds has gained
momentum, with around forty-nine fishponds currently managed by local community
organizations and kia
ʻ
i loko (fishpond guardians)
.

����
Loko i
ʻ
a are not only
essential for preserving traditional native Hawaiian culture and practices, but
also play a vital role in enhancing the State's ecological well-being and offer
opportunities to protect cultural resources and expand food security and
community-based resource management.

����
Many
fishponds in Hawaii are publicly owned.
�

However, no comprehensive database exists to inventory these fishponds,
assess their conditions, or evaluate their potential for restoration.
�
To fulfill its responsibility as a steward of
the
ʻ
āina and
ensure that future generations can benefit from the opportunities fishponds
provide, the legislature believes that the State must have more complete data
on these important resources and deems this Act to be a law of statewide
concern.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to establish a working group within the university
of Hawaii sea grant program to develop an inventory of state-owned fishponds.

����
SECTION 2.
�
(a)
�

There is established within the university of Hawaii sea grant college
program a fishpond inventory working group for administrative purposes.

����
(b)
�
The working group shall
create an inventory of all state-owned fishponds
that
includes the following information for each fishpond:

����
(1)
�
The traditional name;

����
(2)
�
The type or style;

����
(3)
�
The approximate acreage, including submerged
lands within the fishpond;

����
(4)
�
The tax map key, if available;

����
(5)
�
An analysis of the current and historical
condition, including sites in ruin or destroyed;

����
(6)
�
Historical uses and permits associated with the
fishpond;

����
(7)
�
The surrounding land uses; and

����
(8)
�
Any other relevant data as determined by the
working group.

����
(c)
�
The working group shall create:

����
(1)
�
A map of all state-owned fishponds; and

����
(2)
�
A literature review that includes any relevant
sources used for collecting the inventory data.

����
(d)
�
The working group shall consist of:

����
(1)
�
The director of the university of Hawaii sea
grant college program, or the director's designee, who shall serve as the chair
of the working group;

����
(2)
�
The administrator of the office of
conservation and coastal lands of the department of land and natural resources,
or the administrator's designee; and

����
(3)
�
The administrator of the land division of the
department of land and natural resources, or the administrator's designee.

����
(e)
�
The chair of the working group shall invite
the following individuals to serve as members of the working group:

����
(1)
�
One representative from Hui M
ā
lama Loko I
ʻ
a; and

����
(2)
�
Others as invited by the chair.

����
(f)
�
Members of the working group shall serve
without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses, including travel
expenses, necessary for the performance of their duties.

����
(g)
�
The working group shall submit an interim
report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation,
to the legislature no later than November 1, 2026.

����
(h)
�
The working group shall submit a final report
of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the
legislature no later than November 1, 2027.

����
(i)
�
The working group shall be dissolved on June
30, 2028.

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000 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 create an inventory of
all state-owned fishponds.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the
university of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

UH;
Fishponds; Working Group; Inventory; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes
a fishpond inventory working group within the University of Hawaii Sea Grant
College Program to create an inventory and map of all state-owned fishponds and
conduct a literature review.
�

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.