STAND. COM. REP. NO. 20

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 351

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 351 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PESTICIDES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require quarterly, rather than annual, reporting of all application of restricted use pesticides;

(2) Amend the contents of the reports to include specific geospatial data and information and increased detail on the amount of restricted use pesticides applied; and

(3) Require the Department of Agriculture to develop an online reporting tool for restricted use pesticides.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of Maui County, one member of the Kauaʻi County Council, Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action, Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United, Green Party of Hawaiʻi, and thirty‑nine individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Pest Control Association; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; CropLife America; Bowman Termite and Pest Management, LLC; and one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Crop Improvement Association.

Your Committee recognizes that pesticide exposure can cause significant harm to public health and the environment, especially restricted use pesticides. According to testimony received by your Committee, the application of general use and experimental pesticides being applied and tested throughout the State has gone unreported for years. Reporting specific geospatial areas of pesticide use is essential to understanding the location of high potential drift areas and mitigating any unintended consequences in sensitive surrounding areas, such as schools, residential neighborhoods, and waterways. This measure protects public health and the environment and enables more informed public health decision-making by amending the frequency and content of the restricted use pesticides reporting, while facilitating easier compliance by requiring the development of an online restricting use pesticides reporting tool.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 351 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair