STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1623

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.R. No. 99

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.R. No. 99 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING THE COUNTIES TO ADOPT LOCAL ZONING ORDINANCES TO REQUIRE OWNERS OF AGRICULTURAL-ZONED LANDS TO EXECUTE AND RECORD DECLARATIONS THAT ACKNOWLEDGE STATE AND COUNTY AGRICULTURAL LAND USE REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge all counties to:

(1) Adopt local zoning ordinances to require owners of agricultural-zoned lands to execute and record declarations that acknowledge state and county agricultural land use regulations and requirements and the penalties for noncompliance; and

(2) Encourage all counties to promote the active use of agricultural lands by making information available on farm apprenticeship and mentoring programs to owners of agricultural lands.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

Your Committee finds that there is a prevalence of agricultural-zoned lands being used for other purposes that are not related to agricultural production. Your Committee finds that encouraging the State and counties to take actions to increase the number of agriculture-zoned land acres being used for agricultural purposes by the addition of mentorship programs, along with requiring owners of these lands to submit a declaration of compliance to acknowledge state and county land use requirements and penalties will effectively mitigate this issue.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 99 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

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

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KIRSTIN KAHALOA, Chair