RELATING TO LABELING REQUIREMENTS.

SB3248

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

3248

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to labeling requirements
.

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

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SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that
ʻ
ō
kolehao is a
traditional Hawaiian distilled spirit with deep historical and cultural
significance.
�
ʻ
Ōkolehao traces its origins to the
early contact period in Hawai
ʻ
i
and was historically produced from fermented kī (Cordyline fruticosa)
root, commonly known as ti plant or ti-leaf, a plant of profound cultural
importance used for food, medicine, ceremony, and material culture in Native
Hawaiian society.
�
The legislature
further finds that
ʻ
ō
kolehao was widely
recognized in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a distinctive
spirit of Hawai
ʻ
i,
celebrated internationally and produced exclusively in the islands.
�
Over time, however, the absence of clear
standards and labeling protections has allowed the
ʻ
ō
kolehao
name to be misused, undermining consumer confidence and diluting the cultural
integrity and economic potential of this historic Hawaiian product.

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The legislature also finds that the
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the United States Department of the
Treasury regulates the labeling of distilled spirits in interstate commerce,
including standards of identity that define the class and type designations
used on distilled spirits labels.
�
The
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has been asked to establish a federal
standard of identity for
ʻ
ō
kolehao to clarify
minimum production requirements and prevent consumer confusion in domestic and foreign
markets.
�
The legislature believes that
the establishment of a state-level standard and labeling requirements will
support and complement ongoing efforts to define
ʻ
ō
kolehao as a
distinctive product of Hawai
ʻ
i.

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The legislature additionally finds
that other regionally distinctive food and beverage products, such as tequila,
bourbon, and champagne, have demonstrated that clear standards, authentic
branding, and place-based visitor experiences can drive strong economic
outcomes for local communities by supporting agricultural production, creating
jobs, and attracting higher-spending visitors.

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The legislature further finds that
Kentucky's distilling industry has become a major driver of Kentucky's economy,
with reports estimating billions of dollars in annual economic output and
millions of visitor experiences related to distillery tourism.
�
The legislature notes that Napa Valley's
visitor economy demonstrates how a distinctive, place-based beverage identity
can position a rural region as an international destination, supporting
billions of dollars in visitor spending, generating local tax revenue, and
sustaining thousands of jobs.

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Establishing similar protections for

ʻ
ō
kolehao will help
restore its rightful place in the State's cultural and agricultural landscape
while creating an authentic visitor experience that strengthens the State's
brand as a destination rooted in culture, place, and local production.

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The legislature recognizes that
kī cultivation and
ʻ
ō
kolehao distillation
present opportunities to support Hawai
ʻ
i
farmers, promote value-added agriculture, and strengthen rural economies, while
ensuring that consumers receive a product that is truthfully labeled and rooted
in Hawai
ʻ
i.

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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act
is to protect
ʻ
ō
kolehao as a
distinctive product of Hawai
ʻ
i
by establishing labeling requirements for
ʻ
ōkolehao products.

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SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 486, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part V to be appropriately designated and to
read as follows:

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"
�486-
�
Okolehao;
labeling requirements.
�
(a)
�

No label on a consumer package that contains or includes a distilled
spirit shall use:

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(1)
�
The words
"
ʻ
ō
kolehao",
"okolehao", "Hawaiian
ʻ
ō
kolehao", or any
variation of these terms; or

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(2)
�
Hawaiian
imagery, place names, or motifs that would mislead a reasonable person into
believing the consumer package contains or includes a distilled spirit that
contains or includes
ʻ
ō
kolehao,

unless the distilled spirit meets the definition
of
ʻ
ō
kolehao.

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(b)
�
Any nonconsumer package of
ʻ
ō
kolehao introduced into
intrastate or interstate commerce shall bear a label clearly stating that the
product is "Hawai
ʻ
i-distilled

ʻ
ō
kolehao made with Hawai
ʻ
i-grown kī".

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(c)
�
The department may establish and administer a
voluntary certification mark program to verify compliance with this section.

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(d)
�
The department may bring an action for
injunctive relief to compel compliance with this section.

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(e)
�
Any person who violates this section shall be
subject to penalties under section 486-32.

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(f)
�
For the purposes of this section:

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"
ʻ
Ōkolehao" means a
distilled spirit that:

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(1)
�
Is distilled
from a fermented mash, at least fifty-one per cent of which is derived from
kī root (Cordyline fruticosa), also known as the ti plant or ti-leaf,
grown in the State;

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(2)
�
Is distilled
and bottled in the State;

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(3)
�
Is distilled at
less than ninety-five per cent alcohol by volume (one hundred ninety degrees proof);

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(4)
�
Is bottled at
no less than forty per cent alcohol by volume (eighty degrees proof);

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(5)
�
May contain
flavoring or coloring materials, including those added through barrel aging;
provided that the flavoring or coloring materials comply with federal standards;
and

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(6)
�
Is distilled
from agricultural products, at least fifty-one per cent of which were cultivated
and harvested within the State.
"

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SECTION 3.
�
This Act does not affect rights and duties
that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun
before its effective date.

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SECTION
4.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

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SECTION 5.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

ʻ
Ōkolehao; Distilled Spirits; Labeling Requirements

Description:

Establishes
labeling requirements for
ʻ
ōkolehao products.

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