RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

SB2318

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2318

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to agricultural statistics
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The
legislature finds that the department of agriculture and biosecurity's existing
agricultural statistics program plays a crucial role in providing producers and
policymakers with essential data to guide short-term decision making and
long-term strategic planning.
�
In fact,
the department of agriculture and biosecurity has a statutory duty and also a
contractual obligation with the United States Department of Agriculture to
ensure robust data collection and reporting across the State.
�
However, the
department has experienced several
shortcomings in the agricultural statistics program
, including limited access to accurate and
timely agricultural data and outdated collection, analysis, and dissemination
of agricultural statistics
,
which results in limited insights to data that is critical to the movement of
agricultural goods into and within the State.

����
The legislature further finds that in 2024,
the department of agriculture and biosecurity launched a statewide process to
address key economic challenges facing the agricultural sector and developed
short‑term actions and a long-term strategy aimed at addressing the
shortcomings of its statistics program and other goals, such as
boosting local product availability and expanding market
capacity
.
�
The objectives of the
long-term strategy are to:

����
(1)
�
Collect,
analyze, and report data and trends on the inter-island production,
distribution, and sale of select agricultural products;

����
(2)
�
Provide
producers with the information needed to make informed decisions about
planting, scaling operations, and exploring new growth or market opportunities;

����
(3)
�
Provide
other decisionmakers with key analyses of production and production
opportunities, trends, and growth to better allocate public resources to
support agriculture and the public; and

����
(4)
�
Support
the strategic growth and development of Hawaii's agricultural sector by
enhancing the statistics program's data collection, analysis, and reporting
capabilities.

����
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
revitalize and enhance the department of agriculture and
biosecurity's agricultural
statistics program by statutorily establishing
an agricultural statistics program and appropriating funds for the program.

����
SECTION 2.
�

Chapter 148, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new part to
be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"
Part
.
�
Agricultural
statistics

����
�148-
�
Agricultural statistics program.
�
The department of agriculture and biosecurity
shall:

����
(1)
�
Collect
data, provide analysis, and report on the inter-island transportation of fresh
fruit and vegetable products;

����
(2)
�
Develop
and maintain electronic systems for capturing and analyzing data on the
inter-island transportation of fresh fruit and vegetable products; and

����
(3)
�
Establish
a structured rotation schedule for expanded, consistent, sector-specific
surveys to collect comprehensive data on key agricultural activities,
including:

���������
(A)
�
Agricultural
theft;

���������
(B)
�
Agricultural
tourism;

���������
(C)
�
Aquaculture;

���������
(D)
�
Crop
and livestock losses;

���������
(E)
�
Farm
technology;

���������
(F)
�
Horticulture
and nursery;

���������
(G)
�
Livestock
numbers and productivity;

���������
(H)
�
Producer
expansion;

���������
(I)
�
Seed;

���������
(J)
�
Tropical
fruits;

���������
(K)
�
Vegetables
and melons; and

���������
(L)
�
Other
surveys as may be determined necessary.

����
�
148-
�
Exemption.
�
Data and information collected by the
department of agriculture and biosecurity for the purposes of this part or
collected, compiled, and stored in the agricultural statistics program, shall
be confidential and shall not be subject to discovery or to disclosure under
chapter 92F; provided that nothing in this section shall preclude the
disclosure of the information in a statistical or
aggregate form that does not allow the identification of an individual or
entity
.
�
Unauthorized review, use,
disclosure, or distribution of data shall be strictly prohibited.
�
The State shall not be liable for any
dissemination of information collected, compiled, or stored for use in the
agricultural statistics program.

����
�
148-
�
Collaboration; partnerships.
�
The department of agriculture and biosecurity
may:

����
(1)
�
Collaborate
with national and local entities, including the following, to enhance data
collection, analyses, and reporting efforts:

���������
(A)
�
United
States Department of Agriculture;

���������
(B)
�
United
States National Agricultural Statistics Service;

���������
(C)
�
United
States Agricultural Marketing Service;

���������
(D)
�
United
States Bureau of Labor Statistics;

���������
(E)
�
University
of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resilience;

���������
(F)
�
University
of Hawaii economic research organization; and

���������
(G)
�
Other
state agencies as needed; and

����
(2)
�
Establish
partnerships with local producers, transportation companies, aggregators, and
distributors to facilitate the electronic capture of and access to other data
sets."

����
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 the following:

����
(1)
�
$
for the establishment of two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) agricultural
economist positions;

����
(2)
�
$
for the establishment of four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) research
statistician positions;

����
(3)
�
$
for the establishment of secured office space, equipment, the development of
electronic data collection systems, and program expenses for six islands within
the State; and

����
(4)
�
$
for contracted specialty surveys to be conducted by third-party entities,
focusing on critical agricultural data needs.

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

����
SECTION 4.
�

This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Agricultural
Statistics Program; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes
the Agricultural Statistics Program in statute.
�

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.