STAND. COM. REP. NO. 35

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 501

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.B. No. 501 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish an Agricultural Enforcement Program within the Department of Law Enforcement;

(2) Establish the Agricultural Enforcement Special Fund; and

(3) Appropriate funds for and establish positions within the Agricultural Enforcement Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Department of Research and Development of the County of Hawai‘i; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Palani Ranch Company, Inc.; Hawaiian Host Group; Hawai‘i Farmers Union United; and nine individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that agricultural theft and vandalism are impediments to running a successful and profitable farming operation and are harmful to consumers and residents. Agricultural theft and other crimes occurring on agricultural lands have become commonplace, as rural locations of ranches and farms can make it challenging for law enforcement agencies to timely respond to reports. Your Committee further finds that establishing an Agricultural Enforcement Program will lead to stronger enforcement and greater deterrence of crimes on agricultural lands, thereby increasing public safety.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Assistant Chief, rather than the Director of Law Enforcement, shall determine certain duties and responsibilities to be carried out by state law enforcement officers in the Agricultural Enforcement Program;

(2) Changing the numbers of various positions to be established within the Agricultural Enforcement Program to unspecified numbers;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Assistant Chief position; eight full-time equivalent (8.0 FTE) State Law Enforcement Investigator positions, with two positions for each county; and thirty-six full-time equivalent (36.0 FTE) Uniformed State Law Enforcement Officer positions for patrol functions, with the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui having eight positions each and the City and County of Honolulu having twelve positions.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 501, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 501, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

____________________________

KIRSTIN KAHALOA, Chair