SB2798 • 2026

RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Active

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

Sponsor: DECOITE, CHANG, HASHIMOTO, LAMOSAO, MCKELVEY, RICHARDS, San Buenaventura
Last action: 2026-04-21
Official status: Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 718).
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 LAW ENFORCEMENT.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
Law Enforcement; Agricultural Enforcement Program; Permanent; Statewide Makes permanent the Agricultural Enforcement Pilot Program established pursuant to Act 235, SLH 2025.
Renames the program as the Agricultural Enforcement Program and expands the program statewide.
Effective 7/1/3000.

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: SB2798 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2798 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2798 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2798 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2798 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2798 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT .

Bill History

2026-04-21 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 718).
2026-04-21 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: Fukunaga Chair; Richards Co-Chair; Hashimoto.
2026-04-16 H
Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710).
2026-04-16 S
Senate disagrees with House amendments.
2026-04-16 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 700).
2026-04-14 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Iwamoto voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-04-10 H
Deferred one day 04-14-26.
2026-04-10 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2040-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-04-07 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.
2026-04-02 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Tuesday, 04-07-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-30 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).
2026-03-30 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1541-26), recommending referral to FIN.
2026-03-24 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama, Cochran, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Sayama.
2026-03-20 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 03-24-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-20 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-03-20 H
Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1247-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2026-03-18 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-03-12 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Wednesday, 03-18-26 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-12 H
This measure has been deleted from the meeting scheduled on Friday 03-13-26 10:00AM in conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-11 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Friday, 03-13-26 10:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-10 H
Referred to AGR, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 16
2026-03-10 H
Pass First Reading
2026-03-06 H
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 79) in amended form (SD 1).
2026-03-06 S
Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Ihara). Transmitted to House.
2026-03-05 S
One Day Notice 03-06-26.
2026-03-05 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2725) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-02 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-27 S
The committee on WAM has rescheduled its decision making to 03-02-26 10:02AM; CR 211 & Videoconference.
2026-02-23 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-02-26 10:31AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-02-18 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-02-18 S
Reported from PSM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2367) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-02-11 S
The committee(s) on PSM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in PSM were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Fukunaga, Hashimoto, Inouye; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C., DeCorte.
2026-02-10 S
The committee on PSM has added the measure to decision making scheduled on 02-11-26 3:00PM; CR 016 & Videoconference.
2026-02-10 S
Public notice requirement waived pursuant to Senate Rule 21.
2026-02-08 S
The committee on PSM has deleted the measure from decision making scheduled on 02-09-26 3:00PM; CR 016 & Videoconference.
2026-02-04 S
The committee(s) on PSM deferred the measure until 02-09-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
2026-01-30 S
The committee(s) on PSM has scheduled a public hearing on 02-04-26 3:02PM; CR 016 & Videoconference.
2026-01-30 S
Referred to PSM, WAM.
2026-01-26 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-01-23 S
Introduced.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
Law Enforcement; Agricultural Enforcement Program; Permanent; Statewide
Makes permanent the Agricultural Enforcement Pilot Program established pursuant to Act 235, SLH 2025. Renames the program as the Agricultural Enforcement Program and expands the program statewide. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2798

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2798

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to law enforcement
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 353C-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending its title and subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:

����
"[
[
]�353C-16[
]
]
�
Agricultural enforcement [
pilot
]
program.
�
(a)
�
There shall be established within the
department an agricultural enforcement [
pilot
] program [
on the
islands of Oahu and Hawaii,
]
in the State
to be implemented at the
discretion of the deputy director of law enforcement.
�
The department shall employ or appoint, and
remove, the following persons, subject to chapter 76 and section 78-1:

����
(1)
�
An assistant chief, who shall be the
administrator of the agricultural enforcement [
pilot
] program and shall
have charge, direction, and control, subject to the direction or control of the
deputy director, of all matters relating to the enforcement of an offense
listed in section 708-835.55 involving theft of an agricultural product or
commodity and any other matters as determined by the deputy director.
�
The assistant chief shall be an administrator
experienced in addressing agricultural theft; and

����
(2)
�
Personnel, state law enforcement
officers, and investigators, including but not limited to state law enforcement
officers serving on a voluntary basis without pay.

����
(b)
�
In addition to all police powers and duties,
state law enforcement officers in the agricultural enforcement [
pilot
]
program shall:

����
(1)
�
Focus on offenses under sections
708-830.5, 708-831, 708-832, and 708-833 that involve the theft of an
agricultural product or commodity;

����
(2)
�
Gather evidence, conduct
investigations, and conduct field observations, as required or assigned;

����
(3)
�
Cooperate with any enforcement
authorities of the federal, state, or county government in the development of
programs and mutual aid agreements for agricultural activities within the
State; and

����
(4)
�
Carry out other duties and
responsibilities as determined by the deputy director."

����
SECTION 2.
�

Act 235, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, is amended by amending section 47
to read as follows:

����
"SECTION 47.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025[
;
provided that part II of this Act shall be repealed on July 1, 2028
]."

����
SECTION 3.
�

Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Law
Enforcement; Agricultural Enforcement Program; Permanent

Description:

Makes
permanent the Agricultural Enforcement Pilot Program established pursuant to
Act 235, SLH 2025.
�
Renames the program
as the Agricultural Enforcement Program and expands the program statewide.

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