HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2025
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Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa, Chair |
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Rep. Matthias Kusch, Vice Chair |
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Rep. Nicole E. Lowen |
Rep. Sean Quinlan |
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Rep. Amy A. Perruso |
Rep. Gene Ward |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Friday, February 7, 2025 |
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TIME: |
9:30 a.m. |
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PLACE: |
VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE Conference Room 325 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
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A G E N D A
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RELATING TO FARM TO FAMILIES. Establishes the Hawaii Farm to Families Program to alleviate food shortages in the State. Requires reports to the Legislature prior to the Regular Sessions of 2026 and 2027. Appropriates funds.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS. Establishes the Statewide Interagency Food Systems Coordination Team and the Interagency Food Systems Working Group within the Department of Agriculture. Requires reports to the Legislature. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Requires a contract for the purchase of local produce having a value of more than $250 to be for a term of at least 5 years.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO PROCUREMENT. Phases in a ban on state departments administratively attached and agencies from purchasing imported flowers and lei.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. Modifies certain benchmark goals and timeline for the Department of Education to provide locally-sourced agricultural and food products. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDN, AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS. Requires the Department of Education to authorize and facilitate complex areas or individual public schools to form their own farm to school meal programs through partnerships to meet the local farm to school meal goal of thirty per cent of food served in the school to consist of locally sourced products by 2030. Allows the Department of Education to establish a plant-based meal program no later than the 2026-2027 school year. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDN, AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS. Transfers the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs Agency from the Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture and codifies its establishment. Establishes a grant program to be administered by the Agency to support the funding of certain initiatives for the State's public schools. Appropriates funds for grants. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDN, AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Appropriates funds for grant specialist positions to assist farmers and ranchers in meeting the requirements to receive grants offered by the United States Department of Agriculture, State, counties, or private entities.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT. Establishes within the Department of Agriculture the Hawaii Agricultural Transportation Assistance Program, to consist of a reimbursement program and grant program, to assist certain farmers and livestock producers with transportation costs for agricultural products, inputs, supplies, and production and distribution of agricultural commodities. Requires reports to the Legislature.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Establishes within the Department of Agriculture a working group to review and make recommendations on amending or repealing unnecessary or obsolete laws pertaining to agriculture. Appropriates funds.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a Healthy Soils Program. Requires an annual report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LOANS. Updates the agricultural loan program by lowering interest rates, increasing and standardizing loan limits, and reducing the number of credit denials. Authorizes the agricultural loan program to issue lines of credit. Creates a new class of loans to encourage large scale agriculture of import replacement crops grown for the farm to state program. Appropriates funds.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. Requires the Department of Agriculture to revitalize and enhance the agricultural statistics program to collect data on local agricultural interests. Appropriates funds.
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AGR, FIN |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL CLIMATE RESILIENCY. Establishes a three-year climate-resilient food systems grant pilot program, to be administered by the Department of Agriculture. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.
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AGR, FIN |
DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW
Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Testimony received after this time will be stamped late and left to the discretion of the chair to consider. While every effort will be made to incorporate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed, may not be processed.
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FOR AMENDED NOTICES: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are bolded.
For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk at (808) 586-8530.
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________________________________________ Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa Chair |