RELATING TO THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

Budget Water

Active

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

Sponsor: HASHEM
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide details on how much of the debt will be covered by the appropriations.

Funding for Agribusiness Development Corporation

This bill appropriates funds to offset the debt of the Agribusiness Development Corporation related to the Waiahole Water System.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates $4,411,426.49 from state general revenues for fiscal year 2025-2026 into a revolving fund for the Waiahole Water System.
Reimburses the State General Fund with specific amounts in fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to cover debt service on reimbursable general obligation bonds.

Who It Names or Affects

The Agribusiness Development Corporation
Farmers who use water from the Waiahole Water System

Terms To Know

Waiahole Water System: A system of ditches, tunnels, and reservoirs that provides irrigation water to farmers on Oahu.
Revolving Fund: A fund where money is used for a specific purpose and then returned to the fund as it is repaid or recovered.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much of the debt will be covered by the appropriations.
It is unclear if this funding will fully resolve the corporation's financial burden related to the Waiahole Water System.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment appropriates funds to help the Agribusiness Development Corporation pay off its debt related to the Waiahole water system.

Appropriates money from state revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to offset the financial burden of paying back debt on bonds used to acquire and maintain the Waiahole water system.

The exact amount of funds appropriated is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect or possibly a placeholder and needs clarification.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-04 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) Cochran, Kong, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-04 H
Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 81) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
2025-01-31 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Kusch, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.
2025-01-28 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Friday, 01-31-25 10:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-23 H
Referred to AGR, WAL, FIN, referral sheet 3
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-21 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
Agribusiness Development Corporation; Waiahole Water System; Debt; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds to offset the debt for the Waiahole Water System. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB912

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

912

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to THE agribusiness development corporation
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that the
Waiahole water system, also referred to as the Wai
ā
hole ditch irrigation system, was constructed
between 1912 and 1916 to irrigate sugarcane fields on the western side of O
ʻ
ahu and consists of a
twenty-six-mile-long transmission system of ditches, tunnels, siphons, and
reservoirs that provides a source of irrigation water to local farmers from the
windward side of O
ʻ
ahu.
�
The system diverts approximately twenty-seven
million gallons per day from the windward to the leeward side of O
ʻ
ahu.

����
The
legislature further finds that, in 1998, the agribusiness development
corporation was authorized to acquire, administer, operate, maintain, and
improve the Waiahole water system to protect a vital natural resource and to
ensure the expansion of diversified agriculture in the State.
�
As part of the acquisition, the agribusiness
development corporation was required to reimburse the State for part of the
acquisition costs.
�
This continued debt,
however, burdens the corporation and hinders its ability to maintain and
improve the efficiency of the system.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the agribusiness development
corporation to offset the financial burden of reimbursement of debt service.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
There
is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $
4,411,426.49
or so much thereof as may be
necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 to be deposited into the Waiahole water
system revolving fund.

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $426,370 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the sum of $427,172 or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the
reimbursement to the state general fund of debt service on reimbursable general
obligation bonds, including ongoing expenses related to the issuance of the
bonds.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the agribusiness
development corporation for the purposes of this Act.

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Agribusiness
Development Corporation; Waiahole Water System; Debt; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates
funds to offset the debt for the Waiahole Water System.

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