STAND. COM. REP. NO. 363

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 778

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 Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 778 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTEGRATED LAND USE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to develop an integrated land use study that incorporates the State's various climate and sustainability goals and studies to serve as a guide for planning and decision making on the use of agricultural lands.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Hawai‘i Farmers Union; and Hawaii Food+ Policy. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that the State has enacted multiple climate and sustainability statutory targets, including the development of affordable rental housing units, doubling food production, sequestering more atmospheric carbon and greenhouse gases, and requiring all electricity in the State to come from renewable sources. Your Committee further finds that these goals can create conflicting interests when it comes to the use of the State's limited agricultural land resources. Your Committee believes a comprehensive study to assess existing land uses, identify conflicts, and develop balanced solutions will ensure the State puts its limited agricultural lands to their highest and best use while meeting its statutory and policy commitments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, when conducting the study, to:

(A) Clearly define and prioritize the protection of productive agricultural lands, including adopting measures to ensure agricultural lands designated for agriculture production are not compromised for short-term developmental needs; and

(B) Include direct input from the agricultural community;

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

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 778, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 778, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair